


The Butterfly

by WindyWinter007



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:00:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 91,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23629636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindyWinter007/pseuds/WindyWinter007
Summary: "Your human life was simply just a cocoon". Not the most comforting thing to hear after being tortured by vampires because your twin failed to mention she was dating a vampire.
Relationships: Aro (Twilight)/Caius (Twilight)/Marcus (Twilight)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 45
Kudos: 327





	1. Chapter 1

**Please be warned that there is mentions of implied rape and suicidal thoughts! Nothing is explicitly mentioned but if this triggers you, please stop now!**

**In terms of the main character, I very much picture Emma Watson as she.**

* * *

_When I was a little girl, I remember my dad would tell me stories about a brave knight defeating a seemingly impossible enemy to save the princess._

"Be gentle. Don't forget your orders. The human must stay alive"

_I used to daydream for hours about meeting the knight who would sweep me off my feet, how we would fall in love and have a happy ending._

"Shit! I didn't mean to snap her leg! I forgot how fragile humans were"

_I didn't envy my twin when she fell in love. I was so happy for her…even if the guy she was dating gave me the creeps. When he left her and she became a shell of herself, I started to fear the power of love._

"She smells delicious! Are you sure we can't have a taste? Just a small one!"

_I hated seeing her like that. I dragged to her to hangouts with my friends. Slowly, ever so slowly, she started being herself again._

"Oh come on Riley! Victoria will never know!"

_Then, one by one, each of my friends developed a fever. I was so worried for each of them but it turns out my concerns meant nothing to them. After they recovered, they wouldn't even answer my calls…they wouldn't even look at me._

"Fine! We won't drink her blood"

_I refused to fall apart over the loss of my friendships. I refused to mope like my twin. I was stronger than that._

"Her body on the other hand"

_For a very short period, I was okay…or at least I told myself I was. Not that that strength mattered now._

"As long as you don't kill her, do whatever you want"

_I was in hell. The demons being red-eyed angels with a thirst for blood._

"Thanks Riley! You're the best!"

_I just wanted to die._

* * *

I slowly opened my swollen eyes but was greeted by blackness. It seems that I had once again passed out from another round of beatings and…I couldn't even stomach the thought of the rest. My entire body ached and I was still in this god forsaken windowless prison. In a weird way, I was almost thankful for the constant darkness. I could only begin to imagine the state of my body. I didn't want to see the actual evidence of what had happened. My legs refused to obey my commands, I didn't have the strength to lift my arms and my head hung limply because even lifting required strength I didn't have. My daily diet consisted of two pieces of often stale bread and a cup of water if that. I was never allowed to ever leave my little prison. Not to bathe, not to go to the bathroom. The smell I endured was putrid. It was my only victory against my kidnappers. While I couldn't stand the smell, it was worse for their sensitive noses.

'I need to stay alive. They will find me,' I had first thought when I was kidnapped. However, as time split pass, my energy became focused on just waking up after every beating. The hope of being found was chipped away each time I was visited by the red-eyed monsters. Now? My only hope is that I can keep my sanity. It was hard though. It was quiet. It was always quiet. It gave me too much time to reflect on life before all of this. The only time I ever heard noise was either my screams or the taunts of the prison guards when they visited.

I closed my eyes once more and tried to remember the happier times. twin and I drinking tea as we read in comfortable silence. My dad's horrific cooking skills. My mom's unique perspective on things and her constantly trying to give dating to my twin. My friends and I eating pizza while we watched corny horror movies. My A few minutes inside my head of happy thoughts was a lifeline if I wanted to stay sane. Suddenly, I heard muffled voices outside.

"Somethings wrong! We should leave! Fuck the human, let's get out of here!" a voice hissed.

There was a bang on the metal door to my prison, "Riley said to keep the human guarded. She's the victory celebration for Victoria after they rip apart those animal loving scums".

"But can't you feel that dude? I feel like I'm being watched!" the first voice said more panicked, "Something's out there!".

"Pull yourself together! We are fucking vampires! We are the apex predator!" the second voice scoffed.

Up until…well, for however long I've been in this hell, I've come to discover that vampires are very, very much real. From the orange hair woman my truck hit that landed me in this situation to the torture I've endured, vampires are very much real and they are to be very much feared.

"Who are you?" a voice screamed. Suddenly, there was just screaming.

The door to my prison slammed opened and a blur ran towards me, "I have a hostage!".

I heard a child-sounding laugh, "What difference does that make".

I felt my head being jerked back at an uncomfortable angle, "I heard about you from Ripley! Your-your like the police! I-I have a human hostage! She's the t-t-twin of that Swan girl Victoria was so fixated on! So-so-so you can have her blood and-and everything if you let me go! I don't want to die!". The vampire who was causing my discomfort appeared to be having a full-on breakdown. I went from being a hostage to a bargaining ticket. I once again slowly opened my eyes and flinched slightly when I was greeted by the harsh overhead lighting but kept them open.

Standing at the doorway, was a young blonde-haired girl with red eyes. She appeared to be wearing a black hooded coat but with how swollen my eyes were, the girl could have been wearing a bright orange coat and I probably couldn't tell. However, those vivid, almost glowing, red-eyes was something I could very clearly make out.

"Pain," the girl smiled. The vampire next to me suddenly reared back and let out a blood screeching scream as he released my hair.

"Stop! Please stop!" he begged helplessly. With all the strength possible, I turned my head to look at my guard. As sadistic as this sounds, his screams were the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. One of the bastards who had made my life a living hell was finally getting his karma. This continued for several minutes before the vampire next to me stopped screaming and clasped to the floor. I drew my gaze away from his unmoving body and looked at the intruder.

The girl wriggled her nose in disgust at the sight of me, "Pain".

I braced myself as much as I could, I knew this wasn't going to be pretty. The seemingly indestructible vampire beside was reduced to a blundering mess so I truly feared what was going to happen next. After a few seconds, she flinched back and screamed. Another vampire appeared beside her. They both studied me for what felt like forever.

I was doing my best to stay awake. While the two vampires in front of me hadn't attacked me yet, I was getting extremely freaked out by the way they were studying me. I think I was starting to understand what is was like being an insect examined under a microscope. Another vampire with a slightly olive complexion appeared in the doorway and walked towards me. I flinched at the suddenness of his appearance and closed my eyes. I had mentally prepared myself for a long time that this hellhole was were I was going to die. I silently prayed that my family would at least find my body to give them comfort. My twin, my mom, my dad, my friends. At least they would have some closure.

I felt my heartbeat at a million miles per hour as I heard the vampire step closer towards me. I kept my eyes shut and my breathing was getting shallower and shallower as I started to feel lightheaded. I slowly felt my consciousness slipping away. At least this hell would finally be over.

* * *

Alec ran to his sister side when he heard her scream.

"Are you okay?" he asked in slight shock. It had been a very long time since anyone had injured Jane enough to hurt her. Jane didn't reply but he noticed her gaze was fixated on something. He slowly turned his head to see what captured her interest and wriggled his nose in disgust when he saw a semi-conscious human. Her legs had obviously been broken in several different spots, her arms weren't much better and her once pale skin was covered in dirt, filth and multiple bruises and cuts. One burden of being a vampire was the enhanced smell. It seemed that the human had been allowed to rot away in her waste among other things. He could barely make out her facial features because she had been beaten so badly and she was particularly a living skeleton with how thin she was. She barely looked human if he was being honest.

"Alec, try your power on her," Jane ordered, her eyes never leaving the human. Alec obeyed his sister and focused on the human. Instead of the human losing her sense, Alec realised with growing horror that he was losing his senses. His hearing started to dull, and his vision started to slowly lose its crispness. He quickly ceased the use of his powers and all his senses returned to normal. He heard Felix and Demetri join them.

"Jane," he whispered so only she could hear, "What is going on?".

His sister smiled ever so slightly, "It appears we will be having baggage on our trip back home".

Felix, having heard Jane's comment, raised an eyebrow, "Will the masters approve?". Jane resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She hated dealing with idiots. The masters trusted her judgment.

"Demetri, get the human cleaned up and then head home on the plane. I'm not having her filth sink up the plane. Her fate belongs with the masters," Jane ordered, "If our sources are correct, the battle at Forks will be nearing its end. Felix, Alec and myself will head there now and fix another mess created by those animal lovers. We will then travel to Volterra and alert the masters personally. I know they will want to see her". Demetri noted and walked past the twins into the small room where the broken human lay.

"What an interesting find," Demetri commented before he disappeared.

* * *

_Unknown time ago_

" _Welcome back everyone to Radio 102FM! The next song on our countdown list is Losing My Religion by R.E.M.," The announcer on the radio chirped as the distinct guitar strum began. I was vigorously wiping my tears away as I drove from La Push back home._

_What had I done that was so cruel that the boys, my best friends, refused to speak to me. When Bella and I moved to back to live with dad, Jake and I hit it off instantly. We shared the same sense of humour, an interest in cars and other teenage interests that now seem all meaningless. I was then introduced to Embry and Quil. We became the four amigos, thick as thieves. Bella and I had been gifted a red truck which, as selfish as it was, I used constantly to visit the boys after school and on the weekends. I felt slightly less guilty when Bella encouraged it. After she started dating Edward, he always took her in his car. I pushed myself outside my comfort zone and while I made some friends at school, they weren't the people I would hang with ever outside of school. That's why I treasured the boys so much. They were my best friends and the people who knew me best._

_When Edward broke up with Bella and Bella fell into a deep depression, I encouraged (forced) her to hang out with the boys and I. It was a slow process but gradually, Bella was becoming herself again. And then suddenly one day, Embry got a naughty fever. He recovered but refused to hang out with us. Jake then got the fever and then he too stopped hanging out with us. Finally, Quil then got the fever too and…well, I never knew how much I truly relayed on the boys until they were gone. What upset me most was Bella still seemed to be in the loop with them. They still spoke to her. When I confronted her, my twin refused to tell me why._

" _It's not my secret to tell," she said. While I respected her for that, a deep part of me also greatly resented her. She hadn't lost her closet friends. The three were the brothers I never had. We were family! While they may have forsaken me, I would not give up on them. I had gone there to confront them again and to say it went badly was an understatement._

_Fast forward to now, me trying not to sob hysterically as I drove back home. I wiped a fresh round of tears away once more when suddenly a woman with orange hair appeared on the road in front of me._

" _Shit," I cursed as I turned the steering wheel to avoid hitting her. The red truck swerved off the road into the woods and I lost consciousness._

_I slowly opened my eyes and groaned softly as my head was pounding. The wind screen was cracked, and part of the car was wrapped around a tree. I lifted my hand to my forehead and felt a sticky liquid. I reached over to the passenger seat and finished out my phone from my bag. I scrolled to Bella's number and dialed it._

_RING_

_RING_

_RING_

' _Hi. This is Bella. Leave a message'_

_I sighed. Of course, she chooses not to answer her phone now of all times._

" _Hey Bella. Call me as soon as you get this. I've been in a car accident and…," I trailed off as I suddenly saw the orange haired woman through the cracked wind screen, "Are you okay? Bella just call me when you get this". It was only then that I noticed a young male standing next to the orange haired lady and…they both had bright red eyes. My entire body tensed, as if it recognised the danger I was in far before my mind did. Is this what people say the flight or fight instinct is?_

_I did not look away them as I automatically dialed another number on my mobile._

_RING_

_RING_

_RING_

' _You're reached the voicemail of the Forks Chief of Police Charlie Swan. Please leave a message'_

_I quickly ended the call and tried another number._

_RING_

_RING_

_RING_

' _Heya! Jacob Black here! You know what to do!'_

_The two red eyed individuals smirked at me. My hands started shaking as I dialed another number, my eyes never leaving them._

_RING_

_RING_

_RING_

' _What's up homies? Leave a message for your boy Embry!'_

_The man punched through the wind screen causing it to completely shutter. I screamed in terror and covered myself from the shower of glass. I quickly undid my seat belt and managed to stumble out of the wreckage that was once my car before I staggered back onto the road. I tried once more._

_RING_

_RING_

_RING_

' _This is Quil. Leave a message'_

_Suddenly a very handsome young man with shiny blonde hair and vivid red eyes appeared in front of me._

" _Is this the one Victoria?" he asked. My gosh even his voice started amazing. A hand ran down the back of my hair and the orange haired woman appeared by the male's side._

" _Not the one I am hunting but her kin," Victoria said. I stopped breathing. These people were after Bella?_

_I forced myself to be brave despite my body screaming to run, "W-What do you want with my sister?". The woman called Victoria smiled. She raised her hand and I felt her wipe some blood off my forehead. She brought her now bloody hand to her mouth and I watched in muted horror as she licked the blood off her fingers._

" _So similar and yet so different," she whispered, almost as if she was in a trance. Bella and I weren't identical twins but we were very similar in appearance. Our faces were shaped a bit differently and my eyes and hair were slightly darker then my twins._

" _Tell me," Victoria suddenly dislodged me from my own thoughts, "Do you believe in vampires?"._

_I blinked several times. Surely I had misheard her?_

" _V-Vamp-" I asked in disbelief._

_The male interrupted me, "Victoria, the mutts are approaching"._

_Victoria nodded and then a very cruel smile appeared on her face, "Remember this always, this is your sister's fault"._

_The world went black._

_When I next woke up, I was in a tiny windowless room that was pitch black…and there's where my hell began._

* * *

"Conceal your thoughts of the human," Jane ordered Alec and Felix as they moved closer to the battlefield, "Given her similarity to a certain human, it would be wise if they were none the wiser".

Alec, Jane and Felix walked into the clearing and they relished in the fear that flashed across the Cullen's faces. Try as they might to hide it, anyone would be a fool not to fear the Volturi. The three walked closer to the family and Felix glanced over at the fire pit in boredom. They stopped several metres from the animal loving vermin and removed their hoods.

"Impressive," Jane began, "I've never seen a coven escape an assault of this magnitude intact".

Carlisle Cullen knew from personal experience that the Volturi were like sharks. Show weakness and they would eat you alive. The Quileute tribe and his family had to be protected at all costs, "We were lucky".

"I doubt that," Jane replied, her face blank of emotion.

Alec smirked as he studied the family, "It appears we missed an entertaining fight".

"Yes," Jane drawled, "It's not often that we're rendered unnecessary".

"If you would have arrived a half hour ago you would have fulfilled your purpose," Edward snapped back, irritation laced in his voice.

"Pity," Jane replied as her eyes drifted over the battlefield before landing on a sole newborn, "You missed one". The newborn looked panicked and the Volturi watched in amusement as the Cullen coven quickly tightened their little circle. As if that could stop the Volturi.

"We offered her asylum in exchange for her surrender," Carlisle explained.

"That wasn't yours to offer," Jane watched in sadistic delight as the newborn stared at her in pure fear, "Why did you come?".

'Too slow,' Jane thought, 'Pain'. The newborn suddenly dropped to the ground and began screaming in agony.

"Who created you?" Jane asked slightly louder over so she could be heard over the newborn's screams.

Esme couldn't bear the newborn's suffering, "You don't need to do that she'll tell you anything you want to know".

"I know," Jane didn't take her eyes off the screaming newborn but eased up on her powers.

"I don't know. Riley wouldn't tell us," The newborn choked, "He said our thoughts weren't safe".

"Her name was Victoria. Perhaps you knew her," Edward left the underlining accusation hang in the air.

"Edward, if the Volturi had knowledge of Victoria, they would have stopped it. Isn't that right Jane," Carlisle said trying to keep the very uneasy peace.

"Of course," Jane agreed. She looked over her shoulder, "Felix". Felix nodded and started walking towards the newborn.

"She didn't know what she was doing," Esme begged. Jane placed her arm out, halting Felix's walk.

"We'll take responsibly for her," Esme offered.

"Give her a chance," Carlisle continued the Cullen's plea to keep the newborn alive.

Jane had to resist the urge to roll her eyes, "The Volturi don't give second chances. Keep that in mind. Caius will be interested to know she's still human".

"The date is set," Bella said from the safety of Edward's arms. Jane's eyes lingered on the human for a few moments, but it was enough for her to confirm the strong similarities between the human she encountered in the nest to the one standing in front of her. Edward's head snapped to Jane.

"Take care of that Felix. I'd like to go home," Jane ordered, pretending not to notice the mind reader's sudden interest in her thoughts.

"I'm assuming you would have already cleaned out their nest," Edward said as Felix walked passed them towards the soon to be dead newborn.

Jane's vivid red eyes fall on the mind reading vampire, "And what interest is it of yours?"

"We just want to make sure that the coven is safe and if we need to attend to anything," Alice quickly intervened.

Jane didn't respond for a few minutes but a small smile appeared on her face, "If you're referring to the human that looks like a copy to the one standing in front of me…then yes". The entire atmosphere changed just like that. The Cullen's all tensed and stared at the Volturi, waiting for the next piece of information. Jane and the other guards however, weren't going to indulge them.

"May we ask what happened?" Carlisle requested in a diplomatic tone when the Volturi didn't continue. Since the mind reader hadn't reacted yet, Jane could only assume that she and the other guards were successful at keeping their thoughts away from the human. Though she did watch with hidden glee as the mind reader seem to further pull the human closer to him after that little thought.

"There's not much to tell," Jane began, "The human was…broken. Mind, spirit, body, all broken. We acted out a mercy".

The human's face twisted in agony and she buried her head into Edward's chest as she started to sob. While visually the Cullen's exterior didn't change, Jane clearly saw that the wind had been taken out of their sails for lack of a better term. Their gold eyes shone of grief. A benefit to being alive as long as she had, Jane knew how to read these things.

"Let's return home," Jane ordered as she and the others began to leave.

"Thank you for your mercy," Carlisle called out to the retreating guards.

* * *

The first thing I became aware of was the fact I was not dead. The memory, the throbbing pain in my head and my body feeling like lead all but confirmed that. There was a gentle humming noise that sounded like suspiciously like a plane but surely not. I slowly forced my eyes to open, despite very much wanting to keep them closed and go back to sleep, to see what in the world was going on.

"I'm surprised your still alive".

I swear my heart almost stopped beating. I ever so gently turned my heart to where the voice came from and saw a lean, red-eyed vampire with black hair that reached his shoulders. I quickly looked away from him and a quick scan of the environment confirmed that I was indeed on a plane. Oh god, I'm still in hell! I could feel my body start to shake. I don't think I could mentally or physically handle anything else.

"Please-," I began before coughing harshly. My throat felt as if there were a hundred razor blades lodged inside. I eventually got my coughing fit under control and that's when I saw my body. The filth had been scrubbed away from my skin and my clothes had been changed but my legs and arms were sticking out at very unnatural angles. My poor diet had resulted in most of my muscle being eaten away and I could clearly see my protruding bones. It made the black bruises even more prominent against my pasty sun-deprived skin. I looked like the walking dead. I tried desperately to keep the memories of how I ended up like this away but it still didn't stop my eyes filling with tears. My breathing grew shallower and I tried desperately to fight off a panic attack.

"…just let me die," I begged. Even to my own ears, the pitifulness of my comment sounded pathetic. However, seeing what was left of my body, I don't think I could last much longer. I wanted to stay strong, I wanted to live but I couldn't move from one hell to another. I couldn't go back into another windowless prison and just…exist for the sake of it.

I…I wasn't strong enough. I tried. I had so desperately tried! For my family and friends, I tried! But…there was only so much a human could deal with.

He tilted his head to the side as his unblinking red eyes studied me, "Questo è per i maestri a decider (That's for the masters to decide)". I choked back a sob and couldn't stop the panic attack that consumed me this time. I couldn't understand what he was saying but considering the fact he hadn't moved yet, he wasn't going to end my misery anytime soon. This time, I let the darkness consume me.

* * *

Jane, Alec and Felix walked into the throne room where their masters sat and bowed before the three of them.

"My dearest guards! I'm so pleasured you have returned!" Aro greeted happily from where he sat on his throne, "I do believe there is one guard missing though". Marcus remained unfazed while Caius studied the three in front of him.

"Surely the newborns weren't that much of a problem?" Caius raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"No Master Caius," Jane said as she held out her hand. Aro smiled warmly as he stood up and walked towards his talented guards. He gently held Jane's hand in both of his as he listened to the events unfold. His eyes widened in delight at what he discovered.

"How wonderful my dear!" he released her hand and walked back to his throne.

"What is it?" Caius asked impatiently when Aro didn't elaborate further.

Aro's smile widened, "It appears we may have a new member joining our coven soon".

Caius growled, "They kept a newborn alive!"

"Rest assured brother, the guards successfully completed their mission and killed all the newborns. They did however discover a very talented human. Jane, Alec and Felix believe she would make a wonderful addition to our coven! How thoughtful of them! Demetri is accompanying her here via the jet now," Aro looked at Caius, "She managed to reflect Jane and Alec's attack back onto themselves".

That piqued the interest of both Caius and Marcus.

"What else are you hiding Aro," Marcus finally broke the silence. He had dealt with Aro's dramatic nature for far too long, he was hiding something.

Aro could barely contain his excitement, "Her name is Charlotte Swan. The twin sister of our dear Isabella Swan".

* * *

**Hi everyone! This is my first fan fiction ever so I please bear with me. I have been a long-time reader but found I never had the time to sit down and pen my ideas. With the lockdown however, I suddenly find myself with nothing but time. I finally decided to give it a go! I've always been a fan of Twilight and wanted to focus on a darker story of the series.**

**I do want to do a romantic pairing but I hadn't decided yet who it shall be (suggestions welcomed!) but I know it will be someone in the Volturi – because those vamps need some love!**

**Stay safe xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

_I pulled my trusty red truck up at the Black residences and grinned when I saw three teenagers come racing out of the garage. I switched the engine off and only just managed to get my seat belt off before the driver's seat car door was thrown open and a pair of arms wrapped around my arm._

" _Hey," I squealed as I was tugged out of the car and engulfed into a hug, "Good to see you too Em"._

" _Ha," he cheered and continued to squeeze the life out of me, "The other suckers were too slow so no hugs for them"._

" _That's because you tripped us," Quil scoffed and wrestled Embry's arms off me, "Run Lottie!". I quickly climbed back into the truck and grabbed my handbag before closing the door. I locked the truck and couldn't stop laughing as Embry and Quil wrestled each other onto the ground._

" _Race you too the garage Jake," I yelled and took of running._

" _Last one back has to clean the garage down!" I called out over my shoulder to Em and Quil._

' _Oh shit,' I thought when I saw how close Jacob was before he easily overtook me. Jacob and I sprinted the reminder of the distance and I almost collapsed afterwards trying to keep up with him. I walked over to the desk dumped my handbag down with the car keys down on top, still out of breathe._

_The garage wasn't really a garage. It was a separate extension of the Black household and was really a massive shed. There was a chill out zone to the right of the entry that had four bean bags, a TV and a small coffee table. Quil had recently managed to get a gaming console and so far, I had been completely destroyed at Mario Kart. However, I was determined that with lots of practice (and maybe some sabotage), I would beat them one day. The other side had a small work desk that was only sometimes used if one of us had homework that needed to be done. The reminder of the wall passed the work desk had various tools hanging from it. The other side had several shelves that went from floor to ceiling and housed numerous car parts that we gathered. What however though was the current apple of all our eyes was the beautiful, partly restored car taking up most of the space towards the back of the shed. At present, it had an old bed sheet over it._

" _I don't remember you ever being that fast," I panted trying to catch my breath. Jacob laughed as he ruffled my hair._

_I scoffed in annoyance and batted his hand away, "Do you know how long I spent doing it this morning?"._

_Jacob snorted, "Two minutes if that. It's just a ponytail. I have sisters Lottie. You don't fool me"._

"… _look you're not wrong but it's such a pain trying to redo it in this weather," I laughed as I pulled my hair tie out and redid my ponytail. I never knew how Bella survived with her hair down all the time. While my hair wasn't overly wavy, it was enough that it got annoying real fast hanging in front of my face all the time._

" _I don't think I've ever seen them move so fast before," Jake laughed as we both watched Embry and Quil sprint as fast as they could to the garage. Quil stuck his foot out and howled with laughter as Embry took a swan drive into the ground._

_Quil danced the reminder of the way into the garage, "Sucker! Embry's on clean up"._

_Jake pulled Quil into a headlock and ruffled his hair, "That's because Q played dirty"._

" _Oh," I chirped up, "I completely forgot, because someone pulled me out of the car before I could get them, but I baked those caramel cupcakes that you all seem to love". It was almost comical how the boys snapped their heads to me. Jacob tossed Quil away and grabbed the keys sitting on my bag._

_Jacob managed to make it outside before Embry tackled him to the ground, "No way Black! You'll eat them all before any of us get any"._

" _Whoa! Boys!" I called out as I watched the two teenagers wrestle each other on the way to my car, "There's plenty to go around"._

_I raised my eyebrow at Quil who didn't seem phased about joining in, "Aren't you going to act like an idiot and join in Q?"._

_Quil gave me a cheeky grin, "Knowing how organised you are, you probably already have a labelled container for each of us". I felt my face heat up in embarrassment. Being organised was a quality that I prided myself on. Even if the boys would always tease me for it._

" _Don't be embarrassed Lottie," Quil said as he made his way over to the covered car and pulled the bed sheet off, "We love you for it". Em's neighbour had a 1967 Chevy Impala laying in his backyard that he no longer used. He was thinking of stripping the car down and selling it for parts but Em was adamant that we had the skills to fix it up. Jacob, Quil, Embry and I combined all our savings to buy the car and Baby's been our pet project ever since._

" _Have we decided on a colour yet?" I ran my hand over the hood of the car, admiring how much work we had completed._

_Quil rolled his eyes, "Women and their colours"._

" _Oi," I picked up an oily rag laying on the ground and tossed it at him, "Don't be sexist! I've heard you and Em drooling over picturing it being red"._

" _We weren't drooling!" Quil denied as his cheeks turn red in embarrassment._

" _Why didn't you mention we had a container each," Jacob complained as he and Em strolled into the garage with several containers of food._

_Quil tsked in disappointment, "I'm not mad guys, just disappointed. That's why Lottie loves me the most. I know her well enough that she's too organised not to already have the cupcakes divided". Embry and Jake stared blankly at Quil before they looked at each other._

" _Split Quil's cupcakes?" Jake asked._

" _Split Quil's cupcakes," Embry confirmed. This is getting beyond ridiculous._

" _No one is stealing anyone's cupcakes. Now, put the cupcakes aside and let's get back to working on Baby," I said as I took my jacket off and popped open the hood of the car, "I still think the engine needs some work done on it"._

_Quil hummed, "I agree the engine needs more work but at the same time, this is La Push. Baby won't have the opportunity to reach her maximum speed"._

_Jacob groaned, "Not you too Q. We're not calling the car Baby"._

" _But Jake," I whined, "She loves the name Baby. Don't you Baby?". I lovingly stroked the engine to further annoy him. Jake didn't respond but I could feel him roll his eyes at my behaviour._

" _Let me know if you and the car need some alone time Lottie," Embry laughed as he stood beside me and studied the engine with me._

_I gasped in mock shock and stroked Baby's hood, "Don't listen to their mean words! They're just jealous they don't have the same relationship we do"._

" _Alright, alright," Quil intervened, "Let's actually get some work done". We all nodded in agreement and got to work on fixing the engine._

* * *

"Oh dear. It appears the human is a bit broken," I heard a soothing voice say as I slowly started to regain consciousness. My body felt like a rock. My head was pounding, my throat was sore, my eyes felt heavy and everything sounded muffled.

A scoff, "Are you sure about this Aro? She appears too damaged to be of any use. How do we know mentally whether she is stable for the transformation?".

I forced my heavy eyes opened and saw that I was no longer in a plane. I was laying on my back, nowhere in the current century by the looks of the white marble ceiling with massive marble pillars towering above me. My vision was going blurry and kept going in and out of focus.

"Ah, it seems that there is still life left in our little swan yet," the soothing voice said again. I saw the outline of a person in front of me but no matter how many times I blinked, my version wasn't focusing. The figure knelt next to me and I felt a hand rest on my forehead. The coldness on my forehead was absolutely divine for my pounding headache and I closed my eyes in delight.

"How fascinating!" the figure cheered, "I hear absolutely nothing!".

"Will she even survive the transformation?" the second voice I heard scowled, "No point wasting a meal, no matter how unappealing it may look".

"Have faith brother! I feel like our little swan isn't done just yet". I felt my body being pulled into a sitting position before someone enclosed, what I think was their arms, around me. My head was being turned to the side and the very last of my survival instincts kicked in as I realised my neck was exposed.

'Vampires!' I thought in horror. I used as much energy as possible to try and escape the arms that surrounded me but despite my best efforts, I couldn't even budge the arms.

"Don't worry my little swan, you'll feel much better soon," the voice cooed, "Your human life was simply just a cocoon, time to pry the butterfly out". I felt something bite my neck and I began to fight even harder. My arms tried hopelessly to push the arms keeping me trapped away. I tried to pull my head from whatever was biting me but to no avail either. It was only then that I felt my insides beginning to burn. My eyes clenched tighter as my pain sensors became overloaded with the burning sensation travelling through my body and my mouth opened in a silent scream. I was in so much pain that I couldn't even make a sound. I imagine this is what people felt like when they were being burned alive.

'My god,' I thought as I could feel myself becoming lightheaded, 'I can't sleep! I won't wake up again if I do'. My desire to live came rushing back, dulling the excoriating pain slightly.

"It would be wiser not to fight the darkness", a third unknown voice said. I struggled not to pass out from pain as darkness began to creep up from the corners of my eyes.

'Stay awake, stay awake, stay awake,' I chanted to myself repeatedly. Unfortunately, the burning pain that coursed through my veins became too much for my body to fight and I finally succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

" _Here you go Billy," I said as I handed him a plate of piping hot lasagna that I had just made, "Thanks again for letting me use your kitchen". Billy smiled as he picked up his fork and took a bite._

_He moaned slightly, "As long as I get to eat the fruits of your labour, use the kitchen as much as you want"._

_I laughed in response, "I can certainly arrange that". I made my way back to the kitchen and caught Jake getting his third serving of my homemade lasagna._

" _Jacob Black!" I scowled, "Leave some lasagna for my dad!". Jacob at least had the decently to look guilty but didn't put the slice of lasagna back._

" _Yeah Jake! Sharing is caring," Embry laughed as he tackled Jacob to try and get the bowl of lasagna._

_Jacob somehow managed to keep the bowl out of Embry's reach and used his free arm to push Embry away, "It's mine!". I watched the two wrestle each other in both disbelief but also slightly impressed as Jake was still somehow managing to hold Embry off from stealing his bowl. They both eventually fell to the ground but kept on wrestling; Jake to keep the food, Embry to steal the food._

_I shook my head at their antics and then felt my phone buzz in my back pocket. I fished it out and was surprised by the message I read from Angela, 'OMG! You didn't tell me that Bella and Edward were a thing!'. Angela and I had a bit of a strange relationship. We were chatty during school and had swapped numbers but we weren't close enough that we would hang out outside of school. She was certainly lovely and very polite but we just didn't have enough interests in common. To her credit, she had asked me if I wanted to hang out with her. As horrible as it sounds though, I preferred spending my free time with the boys._

' _I didn't even know Bella and Edward were a thing,' I thought as I put my phone back in my back pocket. I would interrogate my twin about this new development later._

_Quil chuckled beside me as a mischievous smile appeared on his face, "Watch this". Quil carefully made his way to the two wrestling boys, who were both too focused on each other to see the lurching teenager approaching them. Quil waited another second before he pounced and snatched the plate of lasagna from Jake's hand._

" _What the hell Q?" Jacob shouted as he went to stand but Embry quickly sat on him, "Move your fat ass Embry!". Quil grinned like a Cheshire cat as he picked up a spoon and took a bite of the lasagna._

" _Mmm," Quil moaned, "This lasagna is amazing Lottie. It's like I always say, the third forbidden serving is so much better"._

" _You've never say that!" Jake retorted as he squirmed underneath Embry._

" _Oi Quil, give me a bite," Embry re-positioned himself so Jacob couldn't escape from underneath._

" _Embry," I called out before I tossed a spoon to Embry, which he easily caught. Damn those boys and their athletic ability!_

_Jacob looked at me in betrayal, "How could you side with the enemy?". Quil passed the plate to Embry and watched in delight as Jacob started pouting over the loss of the third serving of lasagna._

" _Note to self, make a larger batch next time. It feels like you guys are eating more every time I see you!" I commented, "Well, I'm going to leave you boys too it. Dad's working late tonight so I'm going to drop the left-over lasagna to him". Embry finally got off Jacob and I suddenly found myself wrapped in Jacob's arms._

" _I will only release you and forgive your betrayal if you promise to bring more of those amazing caramel cupcakes tomorrow," Jacob ordered as I laughed trying miserably to free myself._

" _Okay! Okay! I'll make a batch of cupcakes up tonight!" Jacob released me and I stumbled away, "Your lucky Mr Black that I happen to have all the ingredients at home"._

_I pointed him in the chest, "More importantly, how dare you hold me hostage over food". Jacob pulled me into a hug and patted my head…as if I needed a constant reminder about how short I was compared to them._

" _You still love me," Jacob lost his cheery smile, "Drive safe back home though. Are you sure you don't want to crash with us? Dad won't mind. He particularly considers you the third Black daughter". I felt tears come to my eyes. I was so touched by Jake's comment. Sure I knew that Billy and I got along really well and I was very fond of him but it was honestly so touching to hear that he thought the same about me._

" _I didn't mean to make you cry," Jacob panicked when he saw my eyes become teary._

" _You didn't!" I reassured him, "I was just so touched by that"._

" _Group hug!" was the only warning I got before Embry and Quil pounced on us. The extra weight caused us to fall to the ground._

' _It seems that these boys are always somehow ending up on the ground,' I couldn't help but think as we became a tangled mess in each other's limbs. I burst out laughing as I watched us all try and de-tangle ourselves, only to make it worse. Who knew that moving to Forks to live with dad would end up being the best decision I ever made._

" _What are you ratbags doing?" I heard Billy yell._

" _Sorry Billy," I called back as I tried to get my laughter under control, "I was just heading off"._

_I heard Billy grunt, "I expect a goodbye before you go"._

" _Shall do!" I laughed once more. Myself, Jacob, Embry and Quil stopped struggling and just laid there in content bliss._

" _How long have you had a skylight in the kitchen Jake?" Quil suddenly asked. I turned my attention away from the boys and looked up at the night sky that was peering through the skylight._

_Jake scoffed, "Since forever! You never come into the kitchen so no surprise there"._

" _What a beautiful night though," I smiled, "You can even see the moon". The boys and I laid on the ground in a comfortable silence as stared at the moon for what felt like hours._

" _I wish I could pause this moment," Quil whispered._

" _I knew you loved me," Em cheerily replied._

_I reached over from the mess of tangled limbs and hit Embry in the shoulder, "Don't ruin the moment". Em gave a heart-assed apology and we went back to laying there on the ground in a comfortable silence. Nothing needed to be said. We were all just happy in each other's presence. The skylight in the roof had the best view of the stars. It was then an idea came to me._

" _What about painting Baby black? Just like the night sky?" I asked._

" _That's actually not a bad idea," Jacob hummed._

_Quil chuckled and whacked Jake, "You're only saying that because it will match your last name"._

" _Yep. You caught me Q," Jacob joked, "In all seriousness though, Baby used to be painted that horrible pale blue colour. Black would completely cover the colour and with a few layers, it won't allow any of the old colour to peak through"._

_I gasped in shock, "Did you just say Baby?"._

_Embry roared with laughter, "I told you we would wear him down eventually"._

" _Yeah, yeah," Jacob rolled his eyes in annoyance, "I've accepted that the car's name is Baby"._

_I sighed, "As happy as that makes me, I better go. Dad is probably wondering where I am". The boys groaned but we did untangle ourselves from the mess of limbs. I got a hug from each of the boys and a quick hug from Billy before I jumped into my red truck and headed towards the Forks Police Station._

_I pulled my car up in front, grabbed my bag and quickly made my way inside. With Forks being such a small town, the police was nothing bigger than a trailer. There was a small reception area inside and to the right was the entry to the offices. I made my way inside and stopped when I saw a man with blonde hair and golden eyes talking to my dad._

_My dad saw me from the coroner of his eye and waved me over, "Thanks Dr Cullen. I don't believe you've met my eldest, this is my daughter Charlotte". I stuck my hand out and had to resist the urge to flinch when Dr Cullen's hand wrapped around mine. His hand was so cold. It felt like my hand had just been dunked in ice._

" _Nice to meet you," I said politely as we shook hands and then released them._

" _Pleasure. I believe you and your sister attend class with my son Edward," Dr Cullen replied._

_I smiled, "That's correct"._

_Dr Cullen smiled in return, "It was wonderful to meet you. My apologies Detective Swan but I must be off. It's quite late"._

_My dad nodded in understanding, "Thanks again for your help Dr Cullen". Dr Cullen nodded in acknowledgment before he left. I looked over at my dad and noticed his eyes were red and slightly puffy, like he had been crying._

" _Are you okay Dad?" I asked as I finished out the container of left-over lasagna from my bag._

" _You're too good for me kiddo," Charlie thanked as he took the glass container with the still hot lasagna, "I will be. What I'm about to tell you can't leave this room. Waylon Forge was found dead in a boat near his place. An animal attacked according to Dr Cullen"._

" _Oh Dad," I whispered as I hugged him around the shoulders, "I'm so sorry!". He patted my arm several times but didn't say anything. Dad never was really one for many words. I didn't even notice my twin enter the room._

" _Hey," she said, causing me to jump slightly but I kept my arms around dad's shoulders. He needed all the support in the world right now._

" _Bella," I said in surprise, "I thought you were home?". I had the car with me since she had gone to Port Angeles with the girls today so the girls must have dropped her to the station and not home? Which didn't make any sense to me because I'm sure our place was on the way pass their houses._

" _It was easier to be dropped off here," Bella explained as she went over and placed a hand on dad's arm, "Dad, I'm really sorry"._

" _How do you know?" I asked. Not in a mean way, just surprised as to how she found out._

_My twin looked at me, "I ran into Dr Cullen on the way out"._

_Dad let out a heartbreaking sigh, "I've known him going on thirty years". I gave him another hug._

" _Don't worry. We're gonna find this thing. Meantime," he reached over and then picked up two canister of pepper spray, "I want you both to carry one of these with you"._

_Bella and I looked at each other as Bella cringed slightly, "I don't know if you-"_

" _It'll give your old man some peace of mind," Dad interrupted._

" _Sure Dad," I smiled and released him so I could take the pepper spray, "Bella and I will carry these on us". I stared at my twin until she hesitantly took her canister of spray._

" _Are you both okay to head home? I was wanting to get a bit more work done before I call it a night," dad asked. My twin and I shared another quick look – aka, Dad couldn't sleep._

" _Not a problem Dad. I drove here so Bella and I will head home," I kissed his cheek, "Don't stay up too late and enjoy the lasagna. I had to fight three hungry boys off for you"._

_Dad grunted, "Let me know if they cause you any grief. I will be more then happy to put them in a holding cell overnight. Creep them out a bit"._

" _Dad," I scowled, "There's no need for that. They were gentlemen as always". Bella gave dad a small bye and we made our way out of the station._

" _Offer's always opened!" he called out. Bella and I laughed as we waved one last time and exited the station._

" _You know what concerns me? He would actually do it too. When one of the boys goes missing, remind me to check lock up first," I chuckled. It's what I loved about dad and feared for my future boyfriend. Good luck future boyfriend for you shall need it with Chief Detective Swan! My twin and I paused when the body of Wayne was wheeled in front of us and into the back of the coroner's car._

" _Poor thing," I whispered in sorrow. Bella didn't say anything. I looked over at her and she appeared to be deep in thought._

_I placed my hand on her arm and her head snapped to me, "Are you okay Bells?"._

_She gave me a small smile, "Sorry. Just a bit on my mind"._

" _You know I'm here to talk about anything should you need it," I gave her arm a small squeeze before I pulled away and walked over to our truck. She followed shortly behind me and we jumped into truck._

" _So," I began as I put my seat belt and started the truck, "What happened between you and Edward?"._

_I watched in amusement as Bella blushed and stuttered as she tried to put her seat belt on, "W-What? Nothing". I raised an eyebrow at her and watched in amusement as she briefly struggled with the seat belt before eventually clipping it up. Her innocent 'nothing happened' act many work on dad but not me, not her twin._

" _Angela messaged me saying otherwise," I responded as I put the truck in reverse and backed out of the parking lot. I shifted the gear to drive and we began to make the short journey back home._

_Even in the dark, I saw Bella's face somehow turn redder, "I ran into him in Port Angeles, we chatted and I knew Charlie was working late so I asked him to drop me off at the police station since it was on his way home"._

_I hummed, processing the information she told me, "Was that all?"._

" _Yes," she replied a little too quickly. I glanced over at my sister for a moment before looking back at the road. Call it my spidy twin senses but it felt like she was hiding something from me. I wanted to ask more but I knew Bella well enough that she would retreat into herself and close off from me if I did._

" _Did he ask you to the prom?" I asked innocently._

_That seems to make Bella relax slightly, "No". Unknowingly to Bella, she all but confirmed to me that she was hiding something from me. If prom was what was causing the issue, Bella wouldn't responded to my question._

" _Did you want him to ask you to prom?" I followed up._

_Bella sighed, "I'm not like you Lottie. I'm not…outgoing, I'm not comfortable going to events like these. Besides, I would probably break my leg trying to dance". I snorted in agreement. While I thought I was clumsy, Bella definitely took the title for most accident-prone hands down._

" _What about you?" Bella quickly interrupted my integration, "Have one of the boys asked you?". Boys being Em, Q and Jake._

" _I haven't told them about prom yet. Despite what you think Bella, we are very much alike. I'm an introvert extrovert. I can fake it in social events but I would much rather be at home baking or reading or even drawing," I cringed, "Though maybe not drawing. I still need to improve a heck of a lot more"._

" _Or hang with the boys and work on cars," Bella added, "I'm still surprised you even do that"._

_I chuckled, "Fixing cars is like baking. You need the exact ingredients at the exact right time to make a perfect creation. When Em first floated the idea about fixing up a car, in true Charlotte fashion, I spent ages reading about cars and car designs to at least have some idea what I was getting myself into. Turns out, cars are actually pretty interesting. You can do a whole bunch of things to-"._

" _Okay rev-head," Bella joked, "You're into cars"._

_I ducked my head slightly in embarrassment, "Sorry". I knew that I had a bad habit of talking someone's ear off when I was passionate about something._

" _Don't worry about it. How's Baby going?" Bella asked._

_I smiled thinking of the beautiful car sitting in Jacob's garage, "We've finally decided to paint her black". Bella hummed but didn't say anything. It was a silent signal that she was done talking for the time being. We sat in a comfortable silence the rest of the drive home but I couldn't shake the feeling that Bella was hiding something from me._

* * *

Pain! So much pain! I could hear voices talking around me but my mind was too overwhelmed by the burning sensation that my entire body was experiencing to focus on what was being said.

'My god,' I thought in horror, 'I'm being burned alive'.

I lost consciousness once again.

* * *

Edward and Bella stood in the clearing at the border between La Push and Forks. The sky was overcast and dark clouds loomed overhead, signalling that it was going to rain soon.

'How appropriate,' Bella thought.

It was decided that it would be best to meet the wolves in the forest where the Forks and La Push borders met to avoid any unwanted eyes. It was quiet, only the soft rustling of the massive trees branches surrounding the duo could be heard. The wolves were going to arrive any minute. Bella was wrapped in Edward's arms and he continued to rub circles on her back to comfort her.

Edward kissed her head, "We don't have to do this. You don't have to do this. I can pass the message on".

"It's okay," Bella sniffed, "They deserve to hear it from me". The silence was disturbed by several loud growls before the human forms of Sam, Jacob, Embry and Paul emerged from the surrounding trees and approached the duo.

"How are you feeling Jake? Should you be moving yet?" Bella asked in concern as she saw Jacob tentatively favouring one side.

"Good luck telling him that," Embry chuckled but quickly stopped when Sam and Jacob glared at him.

"Are you okay Bella?" Jacob growled at seeing her puffy eyes, evidence that she had been crying for some time, "Did that leech hurt you?".

Edward went to reply but Bella interrupted first, "No! Edward would never. It's not about him".

"Then why did you call us here? I thought all the vampires were dealt with," Sam said getting straight down to business. He stared at the human and vampire in front of him, trying to figure out what the sudden meeting was about. There was still a lot of tension between the pack about their involvement with the Cullens. In Sam's mind, the sooner this meeting was over, the better.

Bella took a deep breath, "Where's Quil?".

A moment of silence.

"He and the others are out on patrol," Jacob answered when Sam said nothing.

Sam shot a glare at Jacob before looking back at the duo, "And you want to know this because?".

Bella took another deep breath to fight off a fresh wave of tears, "I…I have some news about Lottie".

"Is she okay?" Embry demanded as Paul quickly restrained him from charging forward.

"Where is she?" Jacob asked at the same time and had too be restrained by Sam as he started showing the signs that he was about to phase.

"Calm down!" Sam ordered the two of them. A single tear fell from Bella's eye. That was enough for the boys to become even more concerned.

"Damn it! What happened?" Embry yelled as he struggled harder against Paul. Paul grunted but kept his arms tight around Embry, keeping him pinned to his chest. Embry was quickly losing control, his wolf demanded to be released so he could search for his friend.

'Um, Sam?' Jared called out in a private mental link to the pack leader.

'What?' Sam snapped back as he wrapped his arms tighter around Jacob who was fighting back harder. Sam could feel patches of fur starting to develop on Jacob's body.

'Whatever conversation you are having now is open to the whole pack. Quil took off and I think he's heading towards your direction. Seth and I are on his trail but we won't make it. He's seriously upset, and, fuck, I don't know what he's going to do,' Jared panicked.

'Fuck,' Sam thought.

"How badly hurt is she?" Jacob growled as a dark chocolate brown wolf charged into the clearing. Edward quickly picked Bella up and moved back several metres.

"Quil, I order you to stop!" Sam shouted in his alpha voice. The wolf came to a sudden halt just as a brownish coloured wolf raced into the clearing and tackled Quil's wolf form to the ground. The wolves fought for a few moments before the brownish coloured wolf managed to overpower the dark chocolate brown wolf and pinned the wolf to the ground. A coppery coloured wolf arrived moments later and looked to Sam for guidance on what he should do after surveying the scene. Three of his pack brothers were being restrained and three of his pack brothers were struggling to keep them restrained.

"Have you got him pinned Jared?" Sam asked before readjusting his grip as Jacob continued to squirm, "Jacob! Calm down! Your scaring Bella". That seemed to knock a bit of sense into Jacob and he ceased his struggles. The brownish coloured wolf nodded in confirmation to his alpha. At this stage, Jared had a struggling Quil pinned to the ground…for the moment.

"Embry and Quil," he ordered once more in his alpha voice, "Calm down". While they both didn't completely stop struggling, they ceased enough that allowed Paul and Sam a moment to breath and readjust to a better grip.

'Continue your patrol Seth. I get the feeling we may be a while' Sam privately linked to Seth. The coppery wolf nodded in confirmation and dashed away. Sam sighed internally, the burdens of being an alpha.

Sam turned his attention back to the vampire and human, "I would suggest you say whatever it is you want to say quickly". Edward, who had crouched down into a defensive position in front of Bella when the wolf drama unfolded, stood up and took Bella's hand in his when he noticed her shaking slightly. He gave her hand a light squeeze for support as he watched her gather herself. Bella couldn't tell if she was shaking from what had happened in front of her, the adrenaline high she was still on from the confrontation with Victoria or the pain of the news she was about to deliver.

'It's now or never,' Bella thought, 'Rip it off like a band-aid'.

"Charlotte is dead," Bella blurted out.

No one moved a muscle.

'Maybe too blunt,' Bella thought.

"What?" Jacob whispered in horror.

Tears filled Bella's eyes once more, "She's…she's dead".

"No! No! She can't be," Embry roared. Paul tried in vain to keep his hold on Embry but the teenager finally shifted into greyish coloured wolf, freeing himself from Paul's grip. Embry turned around and sprinted away.

"Fuck," Paul cursed before transforming into a dark grey wolf and chased after Embry. Quil managed to buck Jared off him and sprinted into the woods as well, Jared hot on his heels. It was just the two shapeshifters, the vampire and the human left in the clearing.

Tears filled his eyes but Jacob stubbornly refused to let them fall, "How?". Bella opened her mouth to answer but only a choked sob came out. Edward wrapped his arms around Bella's waist and pulled her into his chest.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, never drawing his eyes away from her, "We don't know the full details-".

"What the hell do you mean you don't know the full details?" Jacob interrupted. Edward could hear Jacob's grieving thoughts loudly in his head.

'Be patient. He just lost someone too,' Edward thought to himself.

Edward turned his attention to the shapeshifters in front of him, "The Volturi, our vampire police for lack of a better term, advised they found her at the nest".

Jacob growled, "Did they kill her?".

Edward nodded in response.

"No!" Jacob howled. Sam quickly released Jacob from his hold. He watched as the Jacob transformed into a burgundy wolf and howl at the duo in front of them before Jacob racing back into the woods towards La Push.

'Heads up, Jacob is heading back to La Push. I can't follow,' he messaged the wolf link.

'Roger,' Seth responded.

'On it,' Leah advised.

Sam stayed silent as he processed the information being told to him. He was mindful to keep the link to the rest of the pack open so everyone could hear what was being said. Last thing he needed was three very emotional wolves to come charging back because they were cut off from what was happening.

'Paul, Jared, report,' Sam snapped.

'Embry and Quil are fighting but…they…they're just grieving,' Jared eventually replied.

'Keep an eye on them. Paul, let Emily know what's happening. Jared, when it's safe to do so, try and herd them to Emily's. Same for you Seth and Leah. Try and herd Jacob to Emily's,' Sam ordered. He received a several acknowledgements in reply.

"Do we need to be concerned?" Edward asked. He had heard the drama unfolding and while he appreciated the support offered by the wolves in keeping Bella safe, he needed to make sure his family was safe as well. Three emotional wolves who weren't thinking reasonably and fueled with a hatred for vampires was a recipe for disaster.

Sam already court onto what Edward was implying, "Your family is safe. They are understandably working through their grief in the best way they know how".

"I meant no offence," Edward apologised. The three remained didn't speak for several moments. Only Bella's light sobbing could be heard.

Sam closed off his link to the pack before he asked, "Do you know anything about what happened to her after the kidnapping?".

"I cannot confirm. From what the Volturi said, and I don't know how much of this is true, she was in bad shape when they found her. A mercy killing they called it," Edward whispered. Low enough that Bella couldn't hear but loud enough that Sam's enhanced hearing could hear it. Sam closed his eyes in sorrow. He had never met Charlotte but knew how important she was to Embry, Quil and Jacob. He had seen how hard it was for them to cut her out of their lives. How much they had grieved over the loss of their friendship. How much it tore them up inside when she kept coming down to La Push demanding answers from them that they couldn't provide.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Sam said to Bella, "It's not much but I offer the pack's support in anyway possible".

"Thank you," Bella sobbed before burying her head in Edward's shirt as she started to cry uncontrollably. Edward nodded to Sam before lifting Bella into his arms and made their way back to the Cullen's residence. They arrived within a matter of minutes.

"I still don't know what I'm going to tell Dad," Bella whispered completely heartbroken as she tried to get her crying under control, "I should have told her everything. I should have told her what was going on. She would still be alive".

Edward quickly cupped Bella's tear stained cheeks and forced her too look at him, "Don't think like that. Nothing you could have done would have protected Charlotte from Victoria's wrath".

"Then why do I feel so guilty?"

* * *

**First off, thank you for your support everyone!**

**Based on the feedback, I'm thinking I shall write an Aro/Marcus/Caius romance. It seemed to be the most popular option from the reviews and private messages (which I honestly appreciate by the way!). It seems everyone is wanting the Volturi leaders to get some love, so love they shall receive!**

**As you probably have already guessed, I'm focusing more on the movies. I have read the books but it's been so long to remember exactly all the details. I'm sure you can appreciate that it's much easier to watch a two-hour movie and keep writing then read the whole of the book again.**

**I don't want to commit when the next chapter will be released as I've seen may authors do so and don't deliver. I won't jinx myself but I'm writing it up now so I can assure you that it won't be too much of a wait!**

**Thank you once again for your support!**

**Stay safe xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

Four days ago, Bella and her twin were graduating. Excited to start a new chapter of their lives.

'Four days later and I'm now planning her funeral,' Bella thought as she wiped another round of tears away. Bella was currently sitting on a cream coloured two-seater lounge in the Cullen's living room. She had forgotten how clinical the space was. White tile floors, cream coloured lounges, a white oak coffee table and a silver rug. It felt very much like she was sitting in a doctor's reception rather than a family living room.

'It is near Carlisle's office so perhaps it does sometimes double as a reception area,' Bella's mind wondered off as the vampires around her discussed the best way to approach the situation. The vampires were mindful to keep their voices low enough that Bella couldn't hear what they were saying and she was extremely grateful for this.

It was the same when Lottie first went missing. The wolves and the vampires agreed it best to keep the situation under wraps. Human law enforcement would be completely useless in this situation, that was agreed by all supernatural creatures. To prevent Charlie from worrying, the Cullen's, with the permission of the pack, moved the damaged truck back to their place while they worked on a plan to rescue Lottie.

After much discussion amongst the Cullen's, the cover story was that Bella and Lottie would be joining the Cullen family for a spontaneous camping trip for a week as a graduation present. Bella didn't know where she managed to find the strength, but she somehow managed to keep herself together on the phone when telling her dad.

When Bella called Charlie later that night to tell him about the week-long camping trip, he was extremely hesitant to agree. Bella felt horrible doing it but she tugged on her dad's heartstrings by saying Lottie was absolutely devastated from her run in with the boys and wanted to get away for a bit to regroup. Her dad then demanded to talk to Lottie wanting to know what happened on the reserve, but Bella was able to convenience him that Lottie was too upset to talk about it. It was only then that Charlie agreed to let the girls go camping for the week on the condition they would check in every day. Bella readily agreed. Lottie should have been sitting next to her right now, helping her plan her wedding to Edward.

"Bella," her name was called, shaking her from her thoughts. Edward stood in front of her, his family stood close behind.

Bella cleared her throat, "What's the plan?".

* * *

**_Four days prior - Lottie and Bella's Graduation Day_ **

" _Holy crap," I whispered as Bella and I pulled up at Forks High School in our red truck for the last time, "I think I'm going to be sick". I parked the car and took another deep breath._

' _Oh yeah,' I thought, 'Definitely being to be sick before the day is out. I'm only graduating for heavens sake! Why am I so nervous?'._

_Bella placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and gave it a supportive squeeze, "Just think, I'm the one more likely to embarrass myself by falling over on stage"._

_I groaned and rested my head on the steering wheel, "That's if I don't throw up on the Principal"._

_Bella chuckled slightly, "They'll be grateful to see the end of the Swan sisters". I chuckled in agreement with that…particularly if I did end up throwing up from nerves and Bella broke a leg on stage. Yep, the teachers would be grateful to see the back of us._

' _Gosh, the boys would cause a bigger scene with how much they would laugh,' I thought before frowning. It had been weeks and I still had no luck getting them to talk to me. Bella must have noticed my change in mood._

" _How are you going anyway?" Bella asked in concern._

_I sighed and didn't say anything for a few minutes, "I just don't understand what happened between me and the boys". Bella didn't respond. While Bella and I had always had a strong sister relationship, it had become strained over the last few weeks. Particularly when I found out that she was still in contact with the boys where I wasn't. Recently she had been spending a lot of time down In La Push and while I tried not to be mad or jealous, I couldn't help myself. I would have never thought all those months ago that introducing Bella to my friends in her time of need would result in me losing my friends._

_We had gotten into a heated argument a few nights ago about the situation and I did my best to let it go. As Bella said, it wasn't her fault that the boys (well I think she was only really in contact with Jacob) were talking to her and not me. She was right. The boys had made the decision and it wasn't fair that I took it out on her._

_That was until this morning. I was waiting for Bella to get organised for graduation so we could leave when I heard her phone buzz. I thought it was from mum as she was known for only messaging one twin. 'You two are twins! Twin telepathy is real,' she joked one day. Little did we know she could permanently live by it. It wasn't unusual for Bella and I to each receive random text messages from mum that made no sense at all. The texts would only ever make sense when Bella and I saw each other and compared messages. A twin would get, 'Required from the shops' while the other twin would get the shopping list. It would leave one twin confused about where they had to go and the other confused about if they had just received half a recipe (something mum was also known to do). That's a quirky mother for you._

_I was shocked when I saw that Jacob had texted her this morning to congratulate her on graduating. I pushed the anger and hurt down. Bella was right. It wasn't her fault that the boys were ignoring me. However, when I saw Bella message Jacob when she thought I wasn't looking. I had never felt so betrayed and hurt by my sister before. I was going to pull her up on it tonight after the graduation afterparty. I was determined not to let this ruin my day._

' _Time and place, time and place,' I chanted to myself, 'Now is not the time nor the place to confront her. Let's see if the guilt train produces anything today'._

" _Can't you…can't you even just give me a hint? I just, I miss them so much," I pleaded with my twin. "We joked for so long about my graduation and that they would yell the loudest out of everyone but…there not here"._

_Bella shifted uncomfortably, "I'm so sorry Lottie. Honestly, I truly am but, it's, it's not my secret to tell"._

_I smiled sadly, "I understand. It just hurts. I'm going to see them again today. Ask one last time. I'll head over after graduation and then swing by the afterparty. Are you happy to be a bit late?"._

" _It's okay. I'm already catching a lift with Edward," Bella smiled, "That way you can take your time"._

_Bella and I unbuckled our seat belts before getting out of the car, "Are all the Cullens' coming?"._

" _It's only Esme and Carlisle," Bella said as we lent against the truck waiting for dad to arrive. Dad had managed to get the night shift today and told us we had to go in a separate car as he needed to pick something up._

" _Really?" I asked in surprised, "Emmett and Rosalie aren't coming to see their siblings graduate?"._

_Bella chuckled awkwardly, "They said they had better things to do with their time"._

_I frowned, "That's harsh. It's not every day your siblings graduate"._

" _They've been to enough graduations over their life," a voice suddenly chipped. I'm ashamed to admit it but I let out a girly scream and whipped around to see Alice Cullen standing there with an innocent smile on her face. Edward and Jasper standing closely behind._

" _Hey," Bella greeted as she walked over to Edward and gave him a quick peak. I smiled politely at the group of Cullen's. I've never been close with them. As strange as it sounds, there was something off about them. Couldn't tell you what but my skin crawled whenever I saw them. Those yellow unnatural looking eyes definitely gave me the creeps. My sister I don't think ever recovered from the shock when I told her that I thought the Cullen's were creepy._

" _Excited to graduate?" Alice asked us. Before I could answer, I saw the distinctive Forks police car pull up into a nearby car park. Dad had the best timing ever!_

" _Oh look! Dad's here! We'll see you later," I grinned and dragged Bella with me to greet dad. We arrived just as dad pulled out two bouquets of yellow sunflowers from the backseat._

" _Sorry, have either of you seen a pair of twins?" he joked as he handed a bouquet each to us, "Happy graduation"._

" _Well, it does match our outfit," Bella commented. I could see what mean. The sunflowers almost became lost in the sea of yellow that was our graduation gown._

" _We love them though dad," I admired the beautiful flowers in front of me._

_Dad looked at the time and frowned, "We best be off if we want to make it in time"._

" _Bella, I'll pop the flowers in the car?" I offered. She nodded in agreement and passed her bunch over to me. I quickly dashed to the car and carefully laid the flowers on the backseat. I joined the family again before we made our way into the gym where the graduation ceremony was taking place. We took our assigned seats and thus began the ceremony. After speeches from the Principal and various other members of the teaching facility, Jessica's graduation speech was up._

" _When we were five, they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. Our answers were things like astronaut, president or in my case, a princess. When we were ten, they asked again. We answered, rock star, cowboy or in my case, a gold medalist. Now that we've grown up, they a want a serious answer. Well, how about this? Who the hell knows? This isn't the time to make hard-and-fast decisions. This is the time to make mistakes. Take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere. Fall in love…a lot. Major in philosophy because there's no way to make a career out of that. Change your mind and change it again because nothing's permanent. So make as many mistakes as you can. That way, someday, when they ask what we want to be we won't have to guess. We'll know," Jessica finished her graduation speech and I clapped alongside my peers. The teachers signaled us to start forming the line beside the stage as we had practiced many, many times over the last few weeks._

" _Great speech," I congratulated Jessica as she stood in front of me, "I absolutely loved it!"._

_Jessica gave a tight-lipped smile, "Thanks". Well that wasn't awkward at all. We all stood in silence as one by one, our names were called._

" _Alice Cullen"._

" _Edward Cullen"._

" _Jasper Cullen"._

_On and on the names went._

" _Jessica Stanley," the announcer called. I watched Jessica confidently stroll across the stage and receive her high school diploma. I felt my twin give me a quick shoulder squeeze in support from behind._

_I took one last breath as the announcer called, "Charlotte Swan". I climbed the steps and walked across the stage. I smiled as I shook the Principal's hand with my right hand and took the diploma with my left. I stood momentary and smiled at the photographer took our photo. My heart swelled with pride as I saw dad standing up in the crowd vigorously clapping for me. I made my way off the stage and released the breath that I didn't even know I was holding. I stood at the bottom waiting for my twin._

" _Isabella Swan," the announcer called. I cheered and vigorously clapped as my twin walked across the stage to collect her diploma._

' _Please don't let her fall', I thought as I noticed she quickly made her way off the stage. Almost as if she knew that the longer she stayed on stage, the more likely she was going to trip. I smiled gleefully at her as she walked down the stairs._

" _We did it!" I squealed excitedly and hugged her._

" _Charlotte and Isabella!" a nearby teacher hissed, "Get back to your seats!". Bella and I sheepishly nodded and quickly returned to our seats for the rest of the ceremony. The reminder of the ceremony flew by and the next thing I knew, I was running towards dad and gave him a massive hug._

" _I'm so proud of you both," he said with tear filled eyes. I pulled away and dad pulled Bella into a hug._

_He released Bella and cleared his throat as he was becoming overcome with emotion, "Honestly, I'm just so proud. You're both growing into beautiful young ladies. You're growing up so fast"._

_I started to feel a little emotional myself, "Thanks dad"._

_Bella smiled at him and nodded in thanks, "I better go find Edward. He's my lift to the afterparty". She gave dad once last quick hug and disappeared into the crowd of yellow._

_Dad sighed heavily, "She spends way too much time with that boy". I couldn't help but agree._

" _I thought you were going to the afterparty as well?" dad looked at me in surprise, "Do I need to be worried about a secret boyfriend as well?"._

_I chuckled at that comment, "Rest assured, no boyfriend here dad. I'm going down to the reserve to chat with the boys. Clear up the air"._

_Dad looked uncomfortable at that comment, "That problem still not sorted?"._

" _Hopefully today it will be," I gave him a tight smile. My poor dad had been dealing with the fall out from my strained friendship with the boys. He was very close with Billy and I knew he didn't like not being able to see but bless his heart, dad sided with me and said he wasn't going to see Billy until this issue between Jacob and I was solved. He had also had to dealt with the various arguments between Bella and myself over the big secret she knew about the boys but wouldn't tell me. It was times like this that I really appreciated Charlie being my dad. He was an absolute champ and just took things onboard, no matter how uncomfortable it made him. Playing mediator between two teenager daughters was the very definition of uncomfortable for him._

" _Well, good luck. Let me know if I need to get my gun," he joked…I think he was joking._

" _Thanks dad," I gave him another hug, "I'm going to quickly swing by home, rid myself of this interesting colour gown and drop the flowers off. I'll head down to La Push and then swing by the afterparty for a bit"._

_Dad gave me a stern look, "I'm sure I don't need to tell you this but no drinking. If you do have one, which you shouldn't be because you're not twenty-one, call me and I will give you both a lift home. I'm heading to the office to get some paperwork done and will be on patrol later tonight but do not hesitate to call. Don't make your old man pull you over and have to fine you"._

" _Eye eye captain!" I saluted dad, "Love you!"._

" _Love you too," dad said as he chuckled at my behaviour. I quickly got to my car and thankfully managed to make it out of the carpark with very little traffic. It felt like half of Forks had come to this graduation. I made the short journey home and pulled the truck up in front of the house. I gathered all my belongings and swiftly went inside when it started to lightly rain. I placed my diploma on the kitchen bench and fished out two vases. Judging from the dust on the vases, they hadn't been used for a long time. I gave them a quick wipe down and filled them up with water. I unwrapped the bouquet of sunflowers and popped each bunch into a vase. I went into my room and quickly changed into a knee length dark green for the afterparty. I grabbed my handbag and headed back out to the car. As I walked passed the mailbox, I noticed the little flag was up._

' _Probably bills', I thought as I opened the mailbox and saw a single envelope sitting inside. I pulled the envelope out and my heart skipped a beat when I saw who it was from._

**Charlotte Swan  
Crowley's American Kitchen Elite School**

_Also commonly known as CAKES. The Harvard of culinary schools in America. Among their list of graduates were Michelin star chefs and some of the world's most highly sort after restaurant managers. More importantly, they had one of the world's best pastry chef programs. I loved baking and had always wanted to be a pastry chef. Own my own café and serve desserts unlike anything anyone had ever seen. Several months ago, I had applied for pastry course at CAKES. Anyone from the age of 16 could apply and the last two times I did, I was rejected. This time however, I had a feeling it was my time. I kept the envelope clenched tightly in my hand as I got into the car._

' _Just open it,' I thought to myself, 'It's just a letter…a letter that determines my future'. I stared at the letter for another ten minutes._

" _This is ridiculous," I muttered to myself. I took a deep breath and opened the envelope. My hand landed on the letter inside and I hesitated for another moment._

" _If you don't get in, no big deal. You'll apply next year," I encouraged myself as I unfolded the letter and began to read._

**Dear Miss Swam,**

**Upon reviewing your application to Crowley's American Kitchen Elite School with a specialisation in Pastry, we are pleasured to advise that you have been successful.**

_It felt like my mind had short circuited as I re-read the letter several times._

" _I did it," I whispered in shock. "I'm in". I started doing a little happy dance in the car as I screamed in excitement. A sudden knock on the driver's side window quickly stopped that dreadful performance. I turned and blushed in embarrassment when I saw our elderly neighbour, Mr Winchester, standing there. He was a man in his mid-eighties who had stark white hair, green eyes and, must have enjoyed staying fit, he walked every morning. That's the only reason I knew him. Bella and I would normally wave to him each day before school as that's when he would usually finish his daily walk._

_He eyes shone with amusement as I bashfully winded the window down, "You okay there love? I had to look around to see whether there was a priest nearby preforming an exorcist with all that movement"._

_My face somehow managed to turn even redder, "No exorcism here. I just got some very exciting news"._

" _You enjoy yourself and have a lovely day," he gave the truck a pat and strolled back to his house. I placed the letter and envelope in the glove box compartment as I tried to regain my composure._

" _Well that totally wasn't embarrassing at all. Dad's will die of laughter when he hears this story," I muttered to myself as I began the drive to La Push. I pulled my truck up to the Black household and held my breath, still naively hoping the boys would come running out of the garage and yank me out of the car like they always use to. I must have looked crazy sitting there in silence for several minutes as I desperately hoped for what was not going to happen. I sighed and fought back the tears I could feel begin to develop._

" _I can do this," I whispered to myself. I got out of the car and walked up to the front door. I raised my hand, hesitating only slightly, before I knocked._

" _Coming!" I heard Billy holler from somewhere in the house. I waited several minutes and the door eventually opened._

_Billy frowned when he saw me, "Charlotte, what are you doing here?"._

_I smiled slightly, "I wanted to see if Jake and the boys were in?"._

" _I'm sorry Charlotte," Billy sighed and pinched his borrow in frustration, "I told you last time it would be best if you stopped coming by"._

" _I know Billy and I'm sorry," I quickly apologised, "I just wanted to quickly chat with Jacob and clear the air"._

" _I'm sorry Charlotte, I really am but Jacob's made it clear that he doesn't want this friendship," Billy replied bluntly, "I don't know what else to tell you". While harsh, I couldn't blame Billy. This wasn't the first time I came to his wanting to speak to Jacob. It made sense that he's patience only lasted so long._

_My logical reasoning however did not stop the tears from filling my eyes, "You're right Billy. I'm sorry for disturbing you. I…I can take a hint. I promise I won't come past again". I quickly turned around to hide my embarrassment._

' _Why did I think this was a good idea?' I thought as I quickly made my way back to the truck. The moonlight hit something shiny from the corner of my eye and I glanced over before stopping dead in my tracks. Hidden around to the side of the house, something I hadn't seen when I first arrived, was Baby. A fully finished and freshly painted Baby if the shiny black paint was anything to go off._

" _They…they finished her off without me," I whispered to myself. That was the visual nail in the coffin, our friendship was dead. They knew how much I loved working on that car with them. It was our project. For them to finish it off without me meant that they had moved on. This time, I didn't even bother fighting away the tears. Acceptance and mourning are the first steps on the path of recovery I recalled reading once somewhere. I sobbed as I climbed back into the trunk and sped out of there, definitely going more than the speed limit. There was no way I was going to that afterparty after that. Going home and curling up in bed as I cried my heart out was a much, much better idea._

' _I'll send Bella a text that she will need to get a lift home with Edward,' I made a mental note._

" _Welcome back everyone to Radio 102FM! The next song on our countdown list is Losing My Religion by R.E.M.," The announcer on the radio chirped as the distinct guitar strum began._

* * *

_The afterparty was in full swing and Bella began to regret not taking Lottie up on her offer to delay their entry. Crowds and parties were not Bella's scene, even with Edward by her side. She went to get another drink top up when she saw three very familiar werewolves in the crowd._

" _What are you doing here?" Bella asked as she made her way over to the three, "Lottie drove to La Push to see you three"._

" _We know. I let the boys know after I got your text earlier today. Thanks for the heads up by the way. We didn't want to make her cry on her graduation," Jacob looked pained admitting that, "I remembered you invited me so the boys and I thought we would chill here and then leave when Lottie came…so here we are"._

_Bella stared at him in disbelief, "Was my right hook too subtle for you? That was me uninviting you"._

" _Look Bella, I'm sorry. About you know, the kiss and your hand," Jacob apologised, "I'd blame it on the inner animal thing, but it was really just me being an ass. I'm really sorry"._

" _I brought you something," Jacob handed Bella a leather bracelet with a hand-made wooden wolf figure, "A graduation present. I made it myself"._

" _Wow," Bella awed as she admired the bracelet, "This is amazing!"._

_Embry grinned, "What's even more amazing is that we asked Sam today if he would give us special permission to tell Lottie about us"._

" _Well, we asked Emily if she could ask Sam," Quil bashfully admitted, "Sam would never say no to her. We have a pack meeting tomorrow morning and Emily said she would have his arm twisted by then"._

_Embry wiggled his eyebrows, "If you know what I mean"._

" _Oh dude! That's gross!" Jacob hit Embry over the head, "That's an image I can ever unthink"._

" _That's good to hear! I would say she's missing you but she's probably missing Baby most," Bella teased._

" _Funny you should mention Baby," Jacob said, "We actually finished her off. Last coat of paint went on a few days ago"._

" _Thank gosh it hasn't rained," Quil sighed in relief, "We left Baby outside so the paint would dry quicker"._

_Bella stared at them in confusion, "Why would you finish Baby without her? You know how much she loves it". The three teenagers grinned._

" _Now that's a furry topic," Embry joked._

" _In all seriousness," Jacob elbowed Embry for his lame pun, "We know how hard this has been on Lottie. After Sam confirms tomorrow morning that we can tell Lottie, we're going to get her to come down to La Push and tell her everything"._

_Quil couldn't contain his excitement, "And gift her Baby as an apology"._

" _And hope she finds it in her heart to forgive us and bakes anything, literally anything, in celebration," Embry added._

_Quil moaned at the thought, "How I've missed her baking!"._

" _And since our metabolism wolfed out, we can eat as much as we want," Jacob bumped fists with Embry and Quil. All three already dreaming about all the baked goods they could eat without fear of gaining weight._

" _Wait," Bella said in confusion, "Wasn't the plan to sell Baby?"._

_Jacob nodded, "Originally yes. The guys and I have been talking about it for a while. Lottie is our best friend. Our fourth amigo. We've been through hell over the last few weeks without our friendship so we couldn't even begin to imagine how she's been"._

" _We've been asking Sam for permission to tell her for ages and finally, it looks like we're going to get it," Quil smiled, "Nothing can make up for the weeks of pain we've caused her but we feel Baby is a good start"._

_Embry patted Bella on the shoulder, "You're finally going to be able to drive the truck. You know, the red one that you own that Lottie always uses. Do you even remember how to drive?". Bella smiled at the boys in front of her. Bella went to say something when she saw Alice freeze on the staircase, her eyes gazing ahead._

" _I'll be right back," she said as she quickly went to Alice, "Alice, what'd you see?"._

_Alice stared at Bella, almost in a dreamlike state, "The decision's been made"._

" _What's going on?" Jacob asked as he, Embry and Quil followed after Bella._

_Bella frowned, "You're not going to Seattle"._

" _No," Alice whispered softly, "They're coming here". Jasper, Carlisle and Edward suddenly appeared out of nowhere, startling the teenage boys. Carlisle signalled for everyone to follow him into a private section of the house. Jasper wrapped his arms around Alice as Edward, Bella and Carlisle took a seat while the three wolves stood standing._

" _They'll be here in four days," Alice broke the silence that had fallen over the group._

_Carlisle frowned in concern, "This could turn into a bloodbath"._

" _Who's behind it?" Edward questioned._

" _I didn't see anyone I recognised," Alice frowned, "Maybe one"._

_Edward pounded, "I know his face. He's local. Riley Biers. He didn't start this"._

" _Whoever did is staying out of the action," Alice grimaced._

_Carlisle frowned in concern, "They must be playing with the blind spots in your vision"._

" _Either way, the army is coming," Jasper cut in, "There aren't enough of us to protect the town"._

" _Hold up," Jacob said in annoyance, "What damn army?"._

_**BUZZ** _

" _Newborns," Carlisle stated, "Our kind"._

_**BUZZ** _

" _What are they after?" Embry asked in confusion._

_**BUZZ** _

_Alice hesitated for a moment, "They were passing around Bella's scent. A red blouse"._

" _They're after Bella?" Jacob asked in concern, "What the hell does this mean?"._

_Carlisle looked at the teenager shapeshifter in front of him, "It means an ugly fight with lives lost"._

_Jacob didn't say anything as he processed the information. He looked at Embry and Quil and they had a silence conversation before the boys nodded, "All right. We're in"._

" _No," Bella responded immediately, "You'd get yourselves killed. No way"._

" _I wasn't asking for permission," Jacob replied bluntly._

" _Edward?" Bella looked at her boyfriend for support._

_Edward stated at Jacob, carefully studying his thoughts before he looked at Bella, "It means more protection for you"._

" _Jacob, do you believe Sam would agree to an understanding?" Carlisle asked._

_Jacob smirked, "As long as we get to kill some vampires"._

_**BUZZ** _

" _Jasper?" Carlisle looked at his son. The wolves could give them the advantage they needed to win this._

_**BUZZ** _

" _They'll give us the numbers," Jasper confirmed, "Newborns won't know they even exist. That'll give us an edge"._

_**BUZZ** _

_Carlisle sighed in relief, "We'll need to coordinate"._

_**BUZZ** _

" _Carlisle," Bella protested, "They're gonna get hurt"._

_**BUZZ** _

" _We'll all need some training," Carlisle reassured her, "Fighting newborns requires knowledge that Jasper has. You're welcome to join us"._

_**BUZZ** _

" _All right. Name the time and place," Jacob replied in a cocky voice._

_**BUZZ** _

" _Jake," Bella begged, "You don't know what you're getting yourself into"._

_**BUZZ** _

" _Bella, this is what we do," Jacob gave her a comforting smile, "You should be happy. Look at us, working together". You are the one who wanted us to get along remember?"_

_**BUZZ** _

_Edward frowned at the three teenagers, "Could you switch your phones off? That constant vibrating buzz is making it very hard to think"._

' _Heya boys! We got ourselves a vampire in La Push,' Paul spoke over the connection, 'Jared and I are on our way to end its existence'._

_Embry, Quil and Jacob tensed._

" _There's a vampire on La Push," Edward spoke aloud after reading Jacob's thoughts._

_Edward's gaze shifted to his vampire family, "It appears they're already making a move"._

' _I'm on my way,' Sam responded._

" _Is everything okay?" Bella asked in concerned._

_The werewolf link was silent._

' _Sam!' Jared's panicked voice rang out, 'I can smell human blood!'._

' _Fuck!' Sam roared, 'I'm making my way there as fast as I can. Try and save the human as best you can but if there's a bite, you know what needs to be done'._

_Edward tensed, "There's human blood". Carlisle, Alice and Jasper looked at Edward in concern._

_Paul's voice sounded, 'We're almost there- oh fuck!'._

' _What?' Sam demanded._

' _Sam cut them off at the border! I can smell Charlotte! They have Charlotte!' Jared yelled, 'Paul and I are on their tail but they're too bloody fast!'. Embry, Quil and Jacob sprinted downstairs, knocking several party goers out of their way. Edward's jaw dropped slightly as he processed the information he just read from Jacob's mind._

" _What happened?" Bella demanded as she watched Edward sit there, almost as if he was in shock himself._

_Edward slowly turned to his girlfriend, "They…whoever they are…they have Lottie"._

" _What?" Bella screamed, drawing the attention of several people. Alice, Carlisle and Jasper were already out the door running towards the border to try and intercept the vampire._

_Edward kissed Bella's head and wrapped her in his arms, "It'll be alright. Carlisle, Alice and Jasper are heading there now to cut the vampire off. They're fast. They'll get them"._

_Tears filled Bella's eyes, "God I hope so"._

* * *

For as long as Marcus could remember, him and his brothers had a white coloured bond that laid dominant underneath the many bonds they had established over the years. He remembered vividly that on the 13th of September 1987, he previous dominant bond became bright red with transparent ends, leading off to wherever it connected too. Having mastered his power many centuries ago, Marcus knew exactly what that meant. Not only were he and his brothers destined to share the same mate but their mate had just been born. As all three bonds changed colour at the exact same time, ruling out the possibility of multiple mates and confirming it was only one person.

'What a responsibility,' he remembered thinking, 'What type of person had been deemed worthy and strong enough that they would be the mate of three very different vampire kings?'.

Since that development, Marcus made ensured that Aro stayed away from his thoughts. Aro hadn't read Marcus' thoughts in many decades but Marcus knew Aro and Caius well enough to know that they would stop at nothing to find their mate now. It was the first time since Didyme's death had he felt any kind of emotion. Anticipation, excitement, joy…emotions he once thought he would no longer ever be able to feel came flooding back. Marcus didn't see the harm in waiting a few extra years for their mate. They had been alive for so long, that a few extra years meant nothing to them.

'As they were most likely human, it gave their mate time to grow and flourish first,' Marcus justified to himself. For eighteen years, he said nothing. He promised himself that if after forty years their mate had yet to appear, he would tell his brothers and start the search. He was determined to let his mate live as long a natural life as possible before committing them to immortally. It was a known fact that soulmates would never find true love unless with their mate. Lust and desire for others sure but never a burning love. Forty years would give his mate the opportunity to have a family, something him and his brothers could not provide them. While it made venom gather in his mouth at the thought of another person lying with his mate in such an intimate way, something only him and his brothers should do, he already loved his mate enough that he wanted to give them that opportunity immortality would rob them of.

"Demetri has arrived Masters," Jane bowed in front of the three ancient vampires.

Aro smiled and clapped his hands together, "How delightful! Please bring him in my dear Jane". Jane nodded in understanding and disappeared out of sight. Moments later, the two large wooden doors to the throne room opened and Demetri walked in, cradling a skeletal looking figure in his arms.

Marcus was staring off into the distance, he had no interest in Aro's latest obsession. That was, until he felt a pull. He drew his gaze to the gaunt creature Demetri laid on the ground in front of the masters and Marcus had to use his lifetime experience as a king to keep his reaction blank. From the gaunt human was a bright red bond that split into three sections. There was a very faint, almost transparent line that connected to the red bonds from the human to him and his brothers. The beginnings of a soul bond. It was common that while a human, a bond would be established but too weak to fully flourish.

'After eighteen years, our mate has arrived,' Marcus thought in both joy and sadness, 'She is so young'. He looked over his mate and fury, something he had not felt in centuries, burned his core. Their mate was particularly a skeleton and he could see the large patches of black bruises littering her body. Her legs had obviously been broken in several places for the legs to be shaped the way they were and he suspected her arms has been broken as well. How anyone had survived that amount of torture was a sign, a disturbing sign but a sign none the less, of the inner strength of his mate.

"Oh dear," Aro hummed as he surveyed the damage, "It appears the human is a bit broken".

Caius scoffed at the pathetic being in front of him, "Are you sure about this Aro? She appears too damaged to be of any use. How do we know mentally whether she is stable for the transformation?".

'Fair question,' Marcus thought. Had she not been their mate, Marcus would have backed Caius. It wouldn't be the first time that a traumatised human was turned and then went completely mad because it was too much for their mind. His mate groaned softly and Marcus watched with delight as she opened her eyes. Even from a distance, he could see her beautiful chocolate coloured eyes.

"Ah, it seems that there is still some life left in our little swan yet," Aro said as he knelt next to their mate. Unknown to Aro of course.

Aro reached out his hand and placed it on her forehead, "How fascinating! I hear absolutely nothing!".

"Will she even survive the transformation," Caius scowled, "No point wasting a meal, no matter how unappealing it may look". Aro didn't reply as he studied the human for a few moments longer.

Marcus watched his brother with interest, not that any vampire could have known from Marcus' blank expression, 'He can feel the bond pulling him towards her but he does not know what it is'.

"Have faith brother! I feel like our little swan isn't done just yet," Aro gathered their fragile mate into his arms and turned her head to the side, exposing her throat. That seemed to jolt sense into their mate as Marcus watched her somehow draw some strength and try in vain to fight Aro off.

"Don't worry my little swan, you'll feel much better soon," Aro cooed, "Your human life was simply just a cocoon, time to pry the butterfly out". Marcus had to keep his jealously under control as he watched Aro bite into her mate's neck to begin the vampire transformation. Their mate began to struggle even harder. Marcus watched in hidden distress as our mate continued to fight against the pain, refusing to give in.

"It would be wiser not to fight the darkness," Marcus advised. Her body gradually stopped struggling against Aro before eventually falling limb, signalling she had passed out. Aro looked at Marcus in curiosity. It was very unlike Marcus to become involved in…well anything.

'Best get this over with,' Marcus thought, mentally preparing himself for the oncoming fury that was bound to happen once Aro and Caius knew the priceless value of the human in front of them and what he had hidden for so long. Aro and Caius watched their brother in curiosity as Marcus stood from his throne and walked over to Aro, who was still cradling the human in his arms. Even the surrounding guards were inquisitive about this. It had been centuries since the third king had shown any interest, little own in a human. Marcus held his hand out for Aro to take. Aro smiled at his brother and touched his hand.

'I did it for the well-being of our mate,' Marcus justified as he watched his brother process everything. Aro, like Marcus, was too well trained in the art of politics to outwardly show any change in emotion but Marcus could sense his inner fury that was currently being direct at him.

"Shall we retire to the library brothers," Aro cradled their mate carefully in his arms and headed towards their personal library.

"We are not to be disturbed," Marcus ordered the guards before he followed after Aro. Caius' interest was somehow further peaked by this latest development and he stood up before lazily followed his brothers.

"Bring a jug and three goblets," Caius ordered over his shoulder.

'This is going to be entertaining,' Caius thought as he strolled after his brothers into their private library.

The library was the size of a small apartment filled with many of their favourite works. Many of them original copies. The room was windowless in order to protect the older books and the flooring had plush grey carpet. A large round table sat in just inside the room with three throne like chairs surrounding it. All of course made from the finest Italian wood and a black leather three seat sofa to the left of the table. Just passed the table, was rows and rows of bookshelves crafted from an enormous quercus suber tree that use to reside in the middle of Volterra many years ago. The ceiling was covered in a mural depicting a battle between angels and demons. Caius' contribution to the space after he commissioned a young artist called Michelangelo to paint it. The walls were painted a whitish grey as to not draw away from the masterpiece above. There were several small reading nooks littered throughout the library for the brothers to all use the space at the same time but have some privately.

Aro carefully placed their mate down on the sofa and took a seat at the table as Marcus entered with Caius shortly behind. Before anything was said, there was a small knock on the door. Alec entered with a jug full of freshly squeezed blood and three goblets. It was well known within the guards that Caius was not a very patience vampire and when he wanted something, everything was to be dropped to do it. Alec placed the items on the table and bowed to his masters before quickly exiting the room.

"Well don't keep me in suspense," Caius replied in a bored tone as he took a seat at the table. Marcus sat at the last remaining seat.

Aro picked up the jug and poured the blood into the three goblets, "Shall I tell our brother or will you do it Marcus?".

Caius' head snapped to Marcus, "Tell me what brother?".

Marcus picked up one of the goblets, "Charlotte Swan is our mate". No beating around the bush.

Minutes passed in silence.

"I'm sorry," Caius purred as he studied his brother very carefully, "I misheard you brother. I thought you just said that this human is our mate. I would surely be wrong because that would mean that you failed to mention that our soul bond changed colour". If Marcus was a lesser vampire, he would have been terrified of Caius right now. Thankfully, he was not.

Marcus took a sip of the goblet, "My apologies brother for keeping this from you. Aro can confirm that our soul bonds are tied to Charlotte Swan". Caius surveyed Marcus. It reminded Marcus very much of a lion stalking its prey, Caius was looking for weakness. Marcus refused to provided it.

"I feel no pull to her," Caius replied bluntly, waiting for Marcus to reply.

"The bonds are starting to fully form with the transformation," Marcus said as he turned his head to their mate. Her face was clenched in pain and her body trembled as the venom surged through it.

"Why would you keep this hidden!" Caius roared, "I should rip your head off for this betrayal!".

While Aro would have preferred Caius to at least slightly injure his brother for keeping this secret from them, now was not the time, "Calm yourself brother".

Caius' gaze snapped to Aro's, "And your okay with this?".

"I am most certainly not but what is done is done," Aro took a large gulp of the wine in front of him. While Caius may not yet feel the pull, Aro very much so. His little swan's blood sung to him. The small taste he had of her blood awoken a predator inside that had laid dominant for many years. The desire and primal need to claim her as his, he felt it crawling beneath his skin. Begging, pleading to be actioned upon. Control was one of the many qualities Aro prided himself on and he was determined not to succumb to the monster inside now.

"Our mate deserved the chance of a normal life before being committed to immortality," Marcus explained himself.

"A normal life?" Caius asked in disbelief, "In case you haven't noticed brother, our mate is on the verge of death after being brutalised by a vampire's nest. All because you wanted her to have a normal life".

Marcus stood his ground, "I do not regret giving her the opportunity to be a human".

Caius squeezed the goblet in his hand causing it to shatter apart, "Our mate almost died because of that decision". Marcus watched as the bond between Caius and Charlotte started to materialise a bit. Caius' even more aggressive behaviour was a result of the pull from the bond. The desire to protect their mate.

"Your bond is materialising," Marcus said.

Caius scoffed in annoyance as he licked the drops of blood from his hand, "Don't patronise me". Caius looked at Aro who had been surprising quite during the interaction. Aro had his hand folded in front of him and appeared to be deep in thought.

Caius leaned back into his chair, "What are you plotting now brother?".

"The guards observed the nest for five days before they wiped it out. There was a fight amongst the newborns on the second day over a few drops of human blood which I'm guessing was our little swan," Aro leaned back into his chair with an uncharacteristic thoughtful expression on his face, "Our little swan appears to have been starved for months as opposed to four days".

Caius looked at the slowly transforming human in front of him, "Four days? You're right. Her appearance suggests months. She was particularly a skeleton. What could have caused that?".

"A vampire power unlike anything we have seen before," Marcus took a sip from his goblet, "Maybe being able to pause time?".

Aro hummed, "I would have thought the same brother but her scent is that of decay. Not a natural decay either".

"A power that hastens deterioration then? Such a power exists? We haven't encountered anything like this before," Caius pondered, "The question is whether the guards destroyed them in the clean-up".

"An unknown power," Aro looked at Charlotte, "Like our dear little swan. A power that not only blocks but reflects its impact back to the caster".

"Like a mirror," Marcus summarised.

Aro's eyes widen in excitement and he looked at Marcus, "A mirror dear brother! You're absolutely right! Our dear little swan is a mirror!".

"While this is all interesting," Caius interrupted, last thing he needed was Aro gossiping for hours about what he could do with that power, "What will we do when she wakes up? It is obvious she has been through trauma of some kind".

"We work through it together".

* * *

**Hello friends! I honestly cannot thank you enough for your support!**

**Thank you as well to the people who left reviews and sent me private messages! It's really touching and I really appreciate the time you take to leave one!**

**I had a private message asking me who my favourite character was and I thought best to answer it here. I must confess, I remember the Volturi being my favourite characters when reading the books. Until the movies came out and I saw Alex Meraz who plays Paul Lahote. Well, hook, line and sinker – I become Team Paul.**

**Anyone else who's favourite character isn't Edward or Jacob? (And if Edward or Jacob is yours, absolutely nothing wrong with that!)**

**Also, as you may or may not be able to tell, I was watching Supernatural while writing this and I couldn't help myself.**

**Thank you once again for your support!**

**Stay safe xxx**


	4. Chapter 4

Bella took a deep breath as she stared at the mobile phone in her hand. The plan had been set. The Cullen's had taken the damaged red trunk and staged a scene by a winding road to make it look like Lottie had crashed off the edge. The trunk had been pushed into the water with the driver's door opened to make it appear that the waves had pulled Lottie from the car and she was dragged out to the ocean. The Cullen's assured her that the strip of beach Lottie had 'crashed' at was known for its dangerous tides and others had met a similar fate. Many people had died on that section of road from losing control of their car through the windy bends and plunging over the edge into the ocean below. It would stop people from asking too many questions and write Lottie's death off as simply a terrible accident. It was only a matter of time before Charlie would be alerted by the police in the local area.

"Bella," Edward whispered into her hair. He arms were wrapped tightly around her in support as they stood in a density treed area near the camping ground close to the 'crash' scene.

"I know," she replied, "I just need a minute". The plan was that Bella would call Charlie and ask whether Lottie had returned home as her sister had been gone for a while. If the phone records were ever checked, Bella needed to be in the area where they supposedly went camping. She took another deep breath and dialed Charlie's number, a part of her wishing he didn't answer. She wasn't that lucky though.

"Hey kiddo," Charlie chirped as he answered the phone, "How are you both enjoying yourselves?".

'Stick to the script,' she thought to herself.

"Good thanks. Dad, I-I feel a bit silly calling now that I think about it but is Lottie by any chance there?" Bella asked.

Charlie went silent, "She's camping with you isn't she?".

"Yes!" Bella replied quickly, "It's just that…she left this morning. She was meant to be going to the shops to get a few things and…well, she's not come back yet and she's not answering her phone. I'm just concerned. This isn't like her. She was adamant she would only be a gone for an hour max".

"How long has it been?" Charlie asked in concern.

Bella swallowed, "At least six. I thought she may have headed back to Forks".

Charlie cursed, "Start calling the local hospitals in case she's been in an accident and I'll make a few calls to some guys I know on the force in the area".

"Okay. I'll call if I find anything," Bella responded.

"Same here," Charlie hung up the phone. Bella pressed the end call button and slumped further into Edward's arms. Edward squeezed her tighter in comfort. It only took 17 minutes before Bella's phone rung again.

Bella answered the call, "Did you find anything?".

Charlie didn't respond immediately, "I think you should come home Bells". She could hear it in his voice, he was barely holding back tears.

"I'll get Edward to drop me home," Bella replied quickly before hanging up the phone. It was the only gift she could give her dad. Giving him some peace to cry before he would have to 'break' the news to her. Edward took her hand and lend her out of the forest to his parked car. They both got in and sat in silence as they made their way back to Forks. Edward's hand never leaving Bella's. Dread filled Bella's stomach as Edward pulled up in front of her house.

"I can come in if you need," Edward said as he looked at his fiancé. It was the day after Lottie went missing that Bella agreed to marriage. Sitting on her ring finger was the engagement ring that belonged to his birth mother and the sight still filled him with so much joy.

Bella smiled shakily at him, "Thanks but I think it'll be better if I went in by myself".

Edward nodded in understanding, "Call me when you're done".

"I love you," Bella lent over and pressed her lips to his.

"I love you too Mrs Cullen," Edward whispered against her lips. Bella pressed gave another quick kiss before exiting the car and walked towards the house.

She mentally prepared herself one last time as she opened the front door, "Dad?".

She heard Charlie clear his throat, "In the living room". She walked inside and her heart shattered. Charlie Swan looked horrible. His cheeks were tear stained and his eyes were swollen red from crying. It was obvious he was trying to hold himself together in front of Bella.

"No," Bella whispered in shock. She was going to save Charlie as much as possible from having to share the news she already knew. Without even trying, tears filled Bella's eyes and she hugged Charlie before she started sobbing.

"I'm so sorry kiddo," Charlie croaked, "I'm so, so, sorry".

* * *

_Several days later_

"If I sense any of you are going to shift, I will personally drag you out of the church. I don't give a damn who is looking," Sam threatened his pack. They were all here to pay their respects; Sam, Jacob, Paul, Jared, Quil, Embry, Leah, Seth, Brady and Collin. They all nodded in understanding. Sam's gazed lingered over Jacob, Embry and Quil, the three he considered the most likely to be of issue today. Not that Sam blamed them. They had particularly taken the death of their friend very hard. Sam was aware that Emily and Kim were waiting near the church for them.

"Let's go," Sam said as he and the other shapeshifters walked towards the church. Emily smiled sadly at him and wrapped her arms around his waist once he was close enough. Sam pulled her tighter to his body and placed a kiss on her head. They withdrew from each other and held hands as they made their way into the church first. Charlie Swan was standing at the doorway, his eyes filled with unshed tears.

"Sam," Charlie welcomed as he shook Sam's hand, "I wasn't expecting to see you here".

"I'm sorry for your loss Mr Swan," Sam apologised, "I came to pay my respects".

Charlie nodded in thanks as he surveyed the rest of the pack standing there. Each of the boys were dressed in a black suit while the ladies were dressed in black dresses. It was evident to Charlie that they had taken great care in their appearance today. He wasn't sure exactly whether they all knew Charlotte but he sincerely appreciated the gesture all the same.

"Appreciate it," Charlie replied. Jacob, Embry and Quil suddenly turned around and ran out of the church.

"Shit," Sam hissed as followed the boys. Emily followed right behind.

Jared quickly drew Charlie's attention back to him as he shook Charlie's hand, "Sorry about them. They're taken it quite hard". Charlie nodded in understanding, a small part of him still bitter over the pain the three had caused his daughter.

"Please come in. Um, take a seat wherever you want," he instructed. He shook hands with Paul, Seth, Brady and Collin before the pack quickly made their way inside the church.

Sam opened his mouth to call after the boys when Emily stopped him, "They don't need a leader right now, they need a friend". Sam hesitated for a moment, concerned that she could get hurt, but eventually nodded that she could come along. They raced out of the church as the three boys disappeared into the woods. Sam and Emily chased after them and came across the three huddled together in a hug, just crying.

"Oh boys," Emily whispered in sorrow as she went over and pulled Embry and Jacob into a hug. Sam awkwardly stood there before he approached Quil and placed a hand on his shoulder in support. Quil suddenly turned around and hugged Sam as he continued to cry. Now Sam was even more uncomfortable. This is why he and Emily worked so well. Emily was good with emotions. He was not. He remembered Emily's word of the pack needing support, not a leader. He patted Quil's back, quite awkwardly, several times.

"It's all our fault," Jacob whispered.

Emily looked at him in confusion, "How on earth is this your fault?".

"She called us. She called all of us. The day-," Embry managed before another sob left him, "The day she was kidnapped, she called us for help. We didn't answer. If only we answered!".

Emily shushed him as she pulled the two sobbing boys even closer, "It's not your fault".

"We should have known though," Quil wept, "We heard our phones go off but we ignored them. If we had just answered, we could have stopped that leech". Sam and Emily remained quiet as the three boys kept crying on their shoulders.

"I've never met Charlotte but from what I've heard about her from you, she wouldn't want you to beat yourselves up," Emily comforted them before squeezing them one last time and pulled away, "Now let's head back in. I know you'll regret it if you're not there". Sam quickly released Quil as well, happy to never do that again in his life. Jacob, Embry and Quil nodded in agreement and spent several minutes regaining their composure.

"Are you ready?" Sam asked. The boys nodded. The group of five walked back to the church and slipped inside just as the funeral for Charlotte Elizabeth Swan began.

* * *

_Ba-dum. Ba-dum._

My eyes snapped opened. I expected to be dead. I expected to once again feel the searing burning sensation that I last recalled but that wasn't the case. My throat burned. It was a sensation I had never experienced before.

_Ba-dum. Ba-dum._

It sounded like someone was banging a drum beside my head. The sound somehow made the pain in my throat sear even more.

 _Ba-dum. Ba-dum_.

An all-consuming scent of something riot filled my nostrils. It was only then when I noticed I was laying on my back, staring at a jagged rock ceiling. What perplexed me though was how even in the dark space I was in, I could clearly see everything on the ceiling – every line of the jagged edge, the grainy texture of the rock foundation, the mixture of various shades of grey. If I didn't know better, I would have thought I was looking at a sample underneath a microscope with how much detail I could see.

_Ba-dum. Ba-dum._

As if I was possessed, my body shot up to find the sound that was singing to me. In the coroner of the room, there was a burly man curled up. I scrunched my nose up slightly at the repulsive smell radiating from him, the rioting smell I had smelt. It was then my eyes narrowed on the pulsing vein in his throat. I could practically see the blood being pumped in the veins, teasing me.

"Per favore non farlo (please don't)" he begged, his eyes fixed on me in terror. Something primal took over.

_Ba-dum. Ba-dum._

I pounced.

He screamed.

My teeth latched onto his throat and I feel his windpipe shatter under my grip. Blood poured into my mouth and I moaned in delight at the sensation. I greedily kept drinking the blood but no matter how much I drunk, the burning in my throat did not pass. I readjusted my grip and was vaguely aware of several cracking noises as I drove my teeth deeper into his neck. Within minutes, the blood dried up. I tossed the bloodless body away from me. My thirst not yet satiated. I heard the clunking of metal and a portion of the ceiling opened before a body dropped down.

_Ba-dum. Ba-dum._

I flung my body onto the squirming human, my hand wrapped around their throat as I twisted it to get better access to artery. Like a knife cutting into butter, my teeth easily plunged into their neck. I gulped and gulp. The rich, hot, _delectable_ blood coursed down my throat like a stream. Another body drained within moments. Another clunking of metal and another body dropped down.

_Ba-dum. Ba-dum._

Pounce, bite, drain.

Clunking of metal.

_Ba-dum. Ba-dum._

Pounce, bite, drain.

My thirst no longer ravenous but still present. Like a switch, I felt my sanity slowly coming back to me. The animal instinct that demanded to be fed slowly disappeared. It could still feel it though. Crawling underneath my skin, begging to be released, whispering sweet nothings in my mind. Promising satisfaction if I continued to drink. It was only then that I became aware of what I had just did. I looked around and felt like I might vomit as I saw four dead bodies littering the room. There was a stone alter which I woke up on and a large mirror mounted on one side of the wall. It reminded me of those two-way mirrors I had seen on those cop shows. I cautiously walked over to the mirror.

Who was that in the mirror?

It was me but at the same time…not me. My features had become more defined. The skeletal form I had last saw was gone, replaced by toned muscles. Something I had never achieved in my life. My eyes were a vibrant, bright red. That's not even what shocked me most. The entire front of my body was drenched in scarlet liquid, some dripping down my chin. I watched myself in the mirror raise my hand up. I wiped the liquid away from my chin and bought it up to my mouth. It smelled amazing. Like freshly roasted coffee beans. I continued to watch in fascination as my tongue emerged from between my lips and licked the liquid away.

'Blood,' I thought in horror but that didn't stop me from licking up as much as I could.

"Forgive me my little swan," I whipped around and saw a man with translucent skin, hazy red eyes and long black hair framing his face, "I know you crave more but we do have a limited supply of these things".

The animal took over.

I crouched down and hissed in warning, "Who are you?".

He smiled warmly, "Immortally suits you my little swan".

"My name is Charlotte," I growled back.

"Charlotte," He hummed and held out his hand, "Come my dear Charlotte. There is much to discuss". The animal instinct deceased into the shadows of my mind. Like was approved of the vampire in front of me, deemed him not to be of risk.

"Are you the ones who took me?" I demanded. The animal inside may trust him but I certainly did not. Memories flashed in my head. An orange haired woman, torture, despair, a blonde-haired vampire girl, my prison guards screaming, a plane, a vampire with shoulder length black hair on the plane, a black shadowy figure. Pain. Saviours then perhaps?

"All will be answered," the hand remained unmoving, waiting for me to take it. I stared at his hand. I slowly stood up from my crouching position but refused to take his hand. Not until I knew what the heck was going on. The vampire's eyes scanned my body, obviously looking at my blood stained body.

He retracted his hand when it became evident I wasn't going to take it, "Rest assured my dear Charlotte. It will become less messy with practice".

He stood aside and held his hand out, showing a doorway that had been hidden amongst the rocky terrace in the room, "Shall we?". I hesitated for a moment before I nodded. He smiled and walked out of the room. I followed behind. Despite the hallway being pitch black, I could clearly see the vampire I was following. We continued through the tunnel for what seemed like ages before we arrived at a large metal door. It looked like it weighted a ton. The vampire easily pushed it aside and signaled for me to enter first. I watched him carefully as I walked inside. I walked into a massive oval shaped room. There were marble pillars holding up a dome shaped marble ceiling and various patterns decorated the surrounding walls. To my left were three thrones, two vampires sitting on them. One with shoulder length snow-white hair, the other black shoulder length hair. Against the wall stood a line of vampires cloaked in red capes, their faces hidden by the hoods of their capes.

"Good to see you have fed," the vampire with white haired addressed me. My eyes drifted from the red caped vampires to him. My inner animal seemed to enjoy his praise, telling me to bask in it.

The vampire who I had followed walked towards the duo and sat in the last empty throne, "It was marvelous Caius! A natural killer". My inner animal purred at the recognition.

'The hell is going on', I thought in concern. My inner beast seemed to thrive off the approval of those three vampires and trusted them.

"Leave us," the third vampire ordered, "Jane, Alec, Demetri, Felix, remain". Four hooded vampires remained while the others quickly made themselves scarce.

"Just a safety precaution. Newborns are known to be…defensive," Caius said as I surveyed the red clocked vampires in front of me. Once again, my inner animal for some reasons saw the remaining red cloaked guards as threats but the three to the left were deemed safe. I was getting really annoyed at whatever this was inside of me. It felt like me, a more animistic version of me, but me none the less.

"Where am I?" I asked.

The vampire who escorted me into the room smiled, "Welcome to the Volturi".

'Well that cleared up nothing,' I thought to myself.

" _Remember this always, this is your sister's fault"_

'Bella,' I remembered in horror, 'That crazy vampire is after her. I have to warn her!'.

"I need to leave," I said as I looked at the three vampires sitting on the thrones.

The vampire with the long black hair tilted his head and watched me curiously, "Whatever for my little swan?".

'Again with the nickname,' I thought in annoyance. However, deep down, a very small part of me for some reason loved hearing him call me that. I can only reason that it was because of this feeling that I admitted why I wanted to leave. I felt strangely compelled to want to tell him the truth.

"My sister is in danger," I replied, "I need to warn her".

That response seemed to please him greatly, "How wonderfully kind of you my dear! However, I can assure you that is not required. The Cullen's took care of that problem and your sister is safe". My mind stopped.

'The Cullen's took care of the problem?' that thought repeated in my head. The only way the Cullen's would have taken care of the problem is if they were…oh my god.

"…Edward is a vampire?" I asked in horror. The white-haired vampire, Caius I believe his name was, stand from his throne and approach me.

'Bella's in even more danger!', I thought in sheer terror.

"Please," I begged him, "I have to warn my sister".

Caius stood in front of me and wrapped both his hands around my left wrist and brought it up to his face. I watched in morbid curiously as he took a deep breath, taking in my scent I could only imagine. Any reasonable person would have thought this weird but…my inner animal thrilled in it. My eyes were locked with his and I felt trapped in his eyes. A smile appeared on his face. The smile on his face reminded me of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland…or that of a predator that just caught their prey.

"Did your sister never tell you?" he questioned, "She knew he was a vampire. In fact, my brothers and I have met her".

My mind slowly processed what he told me, "…what?".

I felt one of Caius' hand pull away before it started to lightly draw patterns on the back of my hand, his other hand keeping my wrist near his face, "Edward came to us seeking death. We refused. He, your sister and Alice were brought to us by our guards. We granted mercy on them and let them return back to America".

"Bella was in Italy?" I asked in disbelief. My sister was knowingly dating a vampire. She had come to Italy. She had met the three in front of me. What else had she been hiding from me?

"Did you know that orange haired vampire?" I asked.

Caius studied me, his hand still drawing patterns on mine, "Victoria. We came across her path many years when she and her coven drew the attention of too many humans. She wanted to avenge her mate by creating a newborn army to kill your sister. Unfortunately, you were collateral".

"My sister knew?" my voice was calm. It did not reflect the storm of emotions swirling inside me. Surely Bella would have told me if she was in danger…if I was in danger...if her family was in danger.

As if Caius could see the storm of emotions inside me, he fanned them a little more, "Knew? They trained for the upcoming battle. They knew you were taken and well, here we are and they are not".

'They knew! They knew and they let me suffer!' I thought as I could felt the rage begin to burn inside.

" _You heard Riley! We can do whatever the hell we want! We just can't kill her!" the vampire leered._ _I could hear my bones snap, almost like twigs, underneath his grip._

_I cried out in pain, "Please don't!"._

" _It's been a while since I've last been with a chick"._

"They…knew?" fury leaked into my voice as I recalled the trauma I had gone through. The trauma that Bella had avoided but I had not. The trauma I went through because of her and to find out that they knew and…just left me.

Caius' hand stopped drawing patterns, "I'm sorry".

I roared.

I ripped my wrist away from his grasp as I became blinded by betrayal and rage. It felt as if time was slowing down as I saw one of the red cloaked vampires charge towards me. I crouched and met him head on. His body collided with mine and I easily kicked him off. I watched with satisfaction as he sailed through the air and smashed into a marble pillar, damaging quite a bit of the pillar. I had to release the pent-up anger in me. I charged at him and I saw a smirk appear on his face as he ready himself for my oncoming attack. I threw my body at him with my fist raised but missed as he annoyingly side stepped. My fist contacted the already semi-destroyed marble pillar behind him.

_BANG!_

A small crater formed underneath my fist and destroyed the rest of the pillar. I was surprised by the damage I had just caused, where had this strength come from? I withdrew my hand and stared at it in fascination.

"Is that all you have?" the large vampire teased. I could feel my inner animal beg to be released and I let it consume me. It felt like an outer body experience as I heard myself roar and leap at the vampire. This time, I didn't let him step aside as I tackled him to the ground. I raised my hand and smashed my fist against his face. I heard a sickening crack as the vampire's head swung to the side. I punched him again before I was kicked off. I re-positioned myself in the air and landed on all fours like a cat. The large vampire jumped up, rolling his shoulders and re-positioned himself, waiting for my next attack.

I was about to attack him again when I saw a flash of blonde from the corner of my eye. I recognised the blonde-haired vampire from my human memories. The one who had made my prison guard scream. Just like that, my anger disappeared as I turned to her. I watched as the other two guards near her tense up and ready themselves for a battle. Her face remained blank as I stared at her.

 _The vampire next to me stopped screaming and clasped to the floor_.

"You made him scream," I stated, "You killed him".

Her face still gave nothing away but she knew exactly what I was referring too, "I did".

"Thank you," I thanked her sincerely and smiled at her.

That seemed to shock her as her eyebrows raised slightly, "No need to thank me".

"I disagree," I said as I began to walk towards her. A young male vampire similar in features to the blonde stood in front of her, protecting her from my gaze.

I stopped as I looked at the young male and raised my hands up, a universal surrender sign, "I mean no harm".

I looked at the young female vampire, "You made them suffer when I could not and I will be forever grateful for that". She looked very uncomfortable by my thanks and looked over at the three vampires.

"Jane," Caius began, "Could you please take Charlotte to get herself cleaned up and then have her join us in the library?".

* * *

It was extremely strange sitting at the table, surrounded by the three vampires my inner demon adored and some incredible looking books. I felt much better after cleaning up the dried blood from me. I did feel slightly sorry for Jane. She practically power walked to the spare room for me to clean myself up and disappeared as soon as she escorted me to the library entrance. My thanks had definitely made her uncomfortable. When I arrived, the three had fully introduced themselves as Aro, Caius and Marcus before we sat down at the round table in their private library.

"I'm sure you have many questions," Marcus began as he watched me shift in discomfort in my seat, "Ask away".

"Why did your guards save me?" the question had been burning in my mind as I cleaned the blood from me.

Aro smiled at me, "There are a small portion of vampires who possess powers. Our guard is made up of individuals with some of the most powerful gifts in the vampire world. Jane tried to attack you, her power seemingly bounced back and attacked her instead. Her interest was piqued and she bought you to us".

I frowned and looked at my lap, "I don't even remember that".

"That's probably best," Marcus suddenly spoke up, "It appeared you had been through some things when you came to us". I flinched at the reminder.

A hand covered my own and I looked up to see Marcus staring at me, "This is a safe space. You can trust us…should you need to talk about anything". He hand was so comforting. It soothed the beast inside. It made me want to tell him all my problems.

"I can feel something inside me. Like an animal but it's me," I began, staring into Marcus' eyes, "When I…when I ate, when I attacked that vampire. It felt like an outer body experience as my body was consumed by something. Is that normal?".

A slight smile appeared on his face, "Quite. It's the vampire inside us. With time and experience, you can better control it".

"It's why newborns are more emotional during the first few years. They listen too much to the monster within instead as opposed to reason. It's ultimately you though. Over the years, you'll become one as you become a true vampire," Caius added, feeling a bit jealous with how Charlotte was staring so intently at Marcus.

I looked at Caius, my inner vampire whispering that he shouldn't be excluded, "Why does my, 'inner vampire' as you put it, have an unhealthy obsession with you three?". The three didn't immediately respond but I felt Marcus' hand squeeze mine lightly. My drifted over Caius and Aro before I looked at Marcus for an answer.

"Vampires have soulmates. The perfect being for them. Your inner vampire is merely recognising your soulmates," Marcus explained.

My mouth just about fell open in shock, "But she, well me, trusts all of you. Not just one".

"While rare," Marcus began, "A soulmate can have three other soulmates".

"No offense but I barely know you," I said beginning to panic.

Aro lent over and placed a hand over my free hand, "We know this is a lot to take in my little swan but we will take this slow. Get to know who you are and you know us".

"But I can't!" I panicked, "I have to get home. I got accepted into CAKES. There's…there's still so much I have to do". The blank looks I received from them made me want to cry, it confirmed my greatest fears. I wasn't going home any time soon.

"Well, I want to call my dad then," I requested, "I'm not foolish enough to think I can see him at the moment but he's probably stressed out of his mind". Aro released my hand and lent back into his chair.

"I'm sorry my little swan," Aro replied sadly as he fished out a piece of paper from inside his coat, "Our spy in Forks sent this to us". He placed the paper in front of him, waiting patiently for me to take it. My arm crept forward before I picked it up and my eyes widened in shock.

' **Celebrating the life of our dearest Charlotte Elizabeth Swan'**

"But…I'm not dead," I whispered in disbelief before I looked at Aro, "How long have I been gone?".

I watched as Aro's eyes filled with pity, "You disappeared the day of your graduation and were held prisoner for four days. Your transformation lasted six days. A bit longer than usual but…there was a bit of damage needing to be repaired".

I sat there silently as I looked at my funeral invitation, "That means it was held today then". Aro nodded in confirmation.

"The tale of your death woven by the Cullen's no doubt," Caius spat as he stood up and walked behind me.

I could feel more fury to develop once again, "They left me to die and then they feed lies to the loved ones in my life". I felt Caius put his hands on my shoulders, just as my body started to shake from the rage coursing through my veins.

"Let's go to the training room".

* * *

**Hello my friends!**

**Once again for your support!**

**I am continuously blown away when I see an alert come in!**

**The next chapter will continue to cover the funeral (because I do love a bit of angst) and Lottie learning more about her mates.**

**As always, thank you for your support!**

**Stay safe xxx**


	5. Chapter 5

"She's marvelous isn't she?" Aro commented as he watched his mate destroy one of the Volturi's many training rooms. It had been several centuries since a newborn resided in the coven and the shredded equipment all but confirmed that. While some of the equipment had been reinforced to try and handle some of a vampire's power, it was useless against a newborn's power.

Marcus hummed in agreement, "Brave of Caius to play with her". The blonde leader was currently engaged in a game of cat and mouse with a very pissed off newborn. Aro and Marcus watched on silently as Caius only just managed to dodge another of Charlotte's fist.

"Sloppy form," Caius taunted. Charlotte screamed in rage and lunged at him again.

Aro smiled in amusement, "I fear we may lose a brother".

"What will you do about Sulpicia and Athenodora?" Marcus asked, making sure to keep his voice quiet enough that their mate could not hear.

"They both knew the agreement. If our mate should ever come, they either join the guards or be dealt with," Aro replied in a monotone voice.

Marcus turned his attention away from the brawling vampires and looked at Aro, "You don't fool me brother, I can see the connection you have with Sulpicia. Such a bond is not easy to destroy".

"I value the pull I feel towards our little swan more. I would do anything to make her happy. I can't imagine Sulpicia's constant presence would make her very happy," Aro reasoned, his gaze never leaving Caius or Charlotte.

Marcus didn't reply for several moments, "Ask i kardiá mou ( _my heart_ ). Her response may surprise you".

"Greek brother?" Aro looked at Marcus with a teasing expression, "My it's been a while since I've lasted heard you speak that. What made you settle on i kardiá mou ( _my heart_ )?".

"After Didyme, the knowledge that she would eventually come kept me going," Marcus smiled slightly.

"Is that a smile brother? Should I be worried about the end of times?" Aro furthered teased.

Marcus ignored his brother's jab, "It would be best we address the issue of wives sooner rather then later".

* * *

I wanted to scream in frustration. Caius had once again avoided another one of my attacks.

"Little swan! Brother! Why don't we have a rest? There is still much to discuss," Aro called out as Caius evaded another one of my kicks. I snarled in anger at the smug look on Caius' face and crouched down ready to attack once more.

"Wonderful suggestion brother," Caius replied, his gaze never leaving. Almost as if he could sense that I would attack him if he turned his back on me.

Marcus watched us in amusement, "I imagine this is quite overwhelming for you i kardiá mou ( _my heart_ ). Let us return to the library to discuss in private".

"We should vasílissa mou ( _my queen_ ). Best leave some of the training room undamaged," Caius teased. It was only then that I surveyed the room and if I could, I would have blushed in embarrassment. Holes, craters and broken pieces of equipment laid scattered across the ground.

I was mortified, "Sorry!".

"Don't worry little swan, all can be fixed. As a newborn, your emotions can be quite…intense…and difficult to manage. Rest assured though, over time you will gain control over your impulses," Aro assured me before he and Marcus left.

"Shall we?" Caius held his hand out to me. I eyed him wearily because last time he offered his hand, I was promptly thrown into the nearby wall.

'You must be ready for anything!' Caius had tried to justify to me.

Almost as if Caius could read my mind, he said, "That was because we were training. I promise that I won't throw you…this time". I very reluctantly placed my hand in his and he pulled me up from my crouching position…much to my surprise as I expected to go flying through the air again. Caius and I quickly caught up with Aro and Marcus before the four of us made our way back to the library and took our seats once again.

"I'm sorry about the training room," I apologised once more, "I still don't quite understand my own strength".

Aro chuckled, "Fear not little swan. As I said, all can be easily replaced. Our dear Caius, maybe not so much".

"She came nowhere near me for that to be a risk-," Caius replied confidently before Marcus interrupted, "Towards the end brother, she came very close. I feared we would only have two leaders and the vampire world would discover that the third leader died from a very annoyed mate".

I smiled in amusement. This was the distraction I needed from my problems. From the loss of my family and the loss of my old life. I had only been with my mates for a short period of time but I had never felt so whole before in my entire life. I could feel the bonds strengthening the more time I spent with them. However, I wanted more. I wanted to know them.

"I want to know all three of you better," I blurted out, "I know you're my mates and that should be it but I want to know who you are. Not just relay on a connection".

Aro smiled brightly, "Ask away little swan".

And so I did.

We started on light topics first. Hobbies, interests, the fascinating tales of their lives, safe topics. Conversation flowed easily…it was nice…but I had found out the hard way that there were monsters in this world. I couldn't be naïve. I started answering the harder questions. More information about the Volturi coven and the members who made it up, the thirst I had that didn't seem to lessen, vampires having powers, Aro's power, Marcus' power and my unknown power…which lead to the conversation of their roles as leaders and the rules they enforce.

"You said that no human can know of our existence…what…what does this mean for my sister? She shouldn't be punished for Edward's action of exposing that vampires are real," I reasoned.

Aro hummed and placed his hand on mine, "Your loyalty to your family is truly admirable my little swan. As we mentioned earlier, Alice Cullen has the gift of seeing into the future. When your sister and the Cullen's were here last, Alice showed me that Bella would become one of them…of her own free will".

I was rendered speechless as I stared at Aro in disbelief, "She…voluntary wants to be a vampire?".

'Surely not,' I thought, 'Does she truly understand what she is giving up? Surely she mustn't. No children, leaving our family. There's no way she would do such a thing!'.

It was almost like Marcus was the mind reader in the trio, "Do not burden yourself with your sister's actions".

"I didn't…I didn't get a choice," I whispered, my gaze fixed on Aro's hand that was still curled around mine.

"Speaking of family relations," Marcus began, "There is a pressing issue we must discuss". I looked at Marcus in confusion as no one said anything.

Caius eventually broke the silence, "We've discussed the members of the coven. Athenodora and Sulpicia have a more…personal role with myself and Aro. They were our wives-".

"Wait," I interrupted Caius, "Does that mean your still married?".

Caius frowned slightly, "Not in a traditional human sense that requires divorce papers. More of a known fact. But rest assured vasílissa mou ( _my queen_ ), both Athenodora and Sulpicia knew the arrangement would only last until our mate came. We would burn the world down for you, you only have to ask and it would be done". I slowly nodded in understanding...maybe not the burning down the world part but my mates had been alive for a very long time. Who was I to judge them for seeking comfort?

"And are they okay with me?" I asked in concern. Last thing I wanted was to cause issues within the coven they ruled. As Marcus had stated during our conversation, anything that I did would be a reflection on them. High school drama over boys was definitely not appropriate.

"We wanted to discuss that with you little swan," Aro began, "Your happiness is the most important thing for us. The agreement with our wives was that when our mate did come along, they could join the guard".

"And if they refused?" I hesitantly asked as I'm pretty sure I already knew the answer.

Aro smiled, "Nothing for you to be concerned with my little swan".

I looked at each of my mates, "You've been alive for many years. I can't imagine it would have been easy over all these years being alone…and the fact that they've been by your side for many years. I don't want your wives being chased out of their home for centuries because I came here. It would be hard for them to sudden have their entire life changed. Maybe give them some time? Let them leave for a few years and come back once wounds have healed?".

'And this,' Marcus thought to himself, 'Is why she is our mate. She balances the cruelty we deal'.

Aro suddenly appeared in front of me and pulled me into his arms, "What a fantastic idea! Your kindness is so touching my little swan". If my heart could pound, it would be beating a million miles per minute. I stared into his red eyes and watched as a small smile appeared on Aro's face. He leaned in slowly for a kiss.

" _As long as you don't kill her, do whatever want"._

I flinched violently and reared back out of Aro's arms.

"Sorry," I whispered in despair as I stumbled over my words, "I-I-It's too…It's too".

Aro took several steps back to give me some space, "Apologise for nothing little swan". I was both mortified and terrified at the same time. Mortified that I had shunned my mate and terrified because those memories of my hell felt so real. The world felt like it was closing in on me. Was it even possible for a vampire to get a panic attack?

"C-Can I go lie down?" I asked breathlessly as I hugged myself, "I-I-I'm going lie down". I watched my three mates share a look before turning back to me.

"Do you remember the way back to the room Jane took you too?" Marcus asked kindly, "We can escort you-".

"It's fine," I interrupted before I bolted from the library.

* * *

I stared out the window, admiring how the garden seemed to come even more alive underneath the moonlight. My room was truly fit for a queen. It was huge. At least the size of a small apartment and it was obvious that no expense had been spared. The room was carpeted with the softest material I had ever felt and there was a massive bed that could easily fit four people. I just about fainted after seeing my wardrobe and the very expensive looking clothes it housed. I didn't even want to know how they knew my size…or how much they had spent. My room had a balcony that overlooked the garden with a small table and chairs in order to enjoy the outside. The ensuite was just as spectacular and looked like something from Ancient Rome with all the marble fixtures and the massive stone bathtub. I couldn't appreciate the luxuries around me though.

My mind plagued with a million thoughts. The knowledge that I could never see my family, my friends, the boys…my new life as a vampire…what had just happened with Aro, I couldn't seem to switch all the thoughts off. I didn't mean too but I had rejected Aro and it had hurt him. He may have thought he hid it but I caught the flash of hurt before he concealed it.

'All that over a simple kiss', I thought in despair and doubt entered my thoughts, 'What if Aro now changes his mind and wants to stay married to Sulpicia. Not that I blame him after I rejected his advances'. My heart clenched at the thought. Having to cope with the grief that I would never be able to see my loved ones again and the fear that I had ruined things with my mate was gut wrenching. Getting to know my mates had taken my mind off the true consequences of being a vampire and the loss of my old life. Now, sitting in my room with my own thoughts, it had all started to really hit me. The true extent as to what I had lost.

'And Bella wants this voluntary,' I thought bitterly.

"So," a voice said, "This is Caius' mate". I closed my eyes momentary to gather my thoughts.

" _Anything you do i kardiá mou (my heart) will be a reflection on us"._

I opened my eyes and turned to look at my intruder. Standing at my doorway was a fair-haired waifish looking female who appeared to be in her thirties when she was turned. Her red eyes seemed to almost glow in the moonlight. I did my best to pull on a smile, one Aro would be proud of, "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met".

The female studied me, "Your poker face will need much more work". I did my best to keep my irritation at bay. My behaviour was a reflection of my mates and I refused to let them down by letting my annoyance get the better of me. They weren't kidding that managing my emotions as a newborn would be difficult.

"Oh yes," she chuckled, "Much work indeed".

She entered my room and smiled when she saw the view of the garden, "Despite all my years wondering the earth, that garden has to be my favourite". That was so far my favourite part of my room as well. The incredible view of the huge garden below. Earlier in the evening, I had been lounging on the balcony outside my bedroom and it had been wonderful being able to enjoy the fresh air again. Not that I needed it to survive but I had forgotten how much I missed it blowing on my face. It reminded me of my days when I drove to La Push with the window down.

"Forgive me," I apologised, "Who are you?".

"Lesson one," the female looked at me, "A queen never apologises". She stepped closer to me and I had to resist the urge to step back as she invaded my personal space. I was not going to be intimidated by her.

My refusal to back away seemed to amuse her, "At least you have a backbone".

"Again," I said politely through I very much wanted to snap at her, "You are?".

The female smiled as she stepped back out of my personal space, "Athenodora". My eyes widened in surprise.

'Caius' wife?' I thought, 'Oh this won't go down well'.

"I would introduce myself but you seem to already know me," I said as I did my best to stay calm. Was she going to lash out at me for taking away her husband? Was she here to fight me?

"You have to have the worst poker face I've ever seen," Athenodora chuckled, "Calm down dear. I'm not here to do anything…yet".

" _Anything you do i kardiá mou (my heart) will be a reflection on us"._

I straightened my back and did my best to appear unbothered by her, "What are you here for then?". Athenodora didn't reply but I watched as her unblinking red eyes studied me.

"I haven't decided yet," she replied, "I wanted to personally meet the future Queen and the one who spared myself and Pia. I know that leaving wasn't part of the agreement once Caius' mate was discovered. I believe it was either join or die. Obviously said much nicer and more political but I know for a fact that 'roam around until you want to come back' was definitely not mentioned. I'm curious though, why suggest such a thing?".

I stared back at her, "You and Caius have spent many years together. It would be unfair of me to request him cut ties with such a close _friend_. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it is for you since everything would have suddenly changed. It was the only thing I could do to help Caius' _friend_ ". Best to emphasise that she was only ever going to be a friend to Caius anymore. My inner beast purred in delight at reminding the vampire that Caius was my mate.

"You are right, you can't even begin to imagine how I feel," Athenodora hummed, "I can see why Caius said I would like you. But we will need to do something about your eyes".

My eyes narrowed at her, watching her every move in case she attacked, "What's wrong with my eyes?".

Athenodora strolled onto the balcony and took a seat at the outdoor table, "We have much to discuss". I didn't immediately follow her but curiosity got the best of me.

'Curiosity may have killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back to life,' I reasoned to myself, '…but that cat also didn't face the ex-wife of their mate'. Despite the danger, I was too curious to hear what she had to say.

I walked onto the balcony and sat opposite her, "What is there to discuss?".

"Straight to the point, Marcus would love that. He has grown tired over the years of Aro's cryptic ways," Athenodora said as her gaze once again drifted to the garden below us, "I will be leaving for a few years. I have been here such a long time that I want to see how the world has changed over the last few centuries".

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked in confusion.

"Lesson two," Athenodora looked at me, "Treat every move like a game of chess, let your enemy show their cards first".

"And are you my enemy?" I responded, preparing to flee in case she attacked.

Athenodora smiled softly, "At present, nothing more than a concerned coven member. Who knows, maybe in a few decades we'll become friends and I can share all the juicy secrets about what Caius _enjoys_ ".

'And there it is,' I thought, 'The underhanded comment that she knows Caius better than me'.

"But it's because of Caius that I'm doing this. Originally, I came to see the famous vampire who was not only all three leader's mate but showed mercy by letting myself and Pia choose our own fates. After seeing your eyes though, I have some advice to offer," Athenodora began, "Before I was turned, I was a slave to a master who enjoyed reminding his slaves that he was in charge. Nothing was off limits to that pathetic creature".

I didn't say anything. As Athenodora had just said, let the enemy show their cards.

"After I was turned, I got my revenge but it didn't make me feel any better. I thought after killing him, after making him suffer like I had, I would have a whole new outlook and feel free. Unfortunately…that wasn't the case," Athenodora's gaze drifted over to the garden once again, "It took me many years to realise that while he many have destroyed my human life, I was reborn as a vampire. Something untouchable. The only power he had over me was the power I was giving him".

"What did you do?" I whispered, "When the memories…just linger".

Athenodora didn't look away from the garden, "Vampires believe that with time, your human memories fade. Even after all these years, I still vividly remember what he did to me. How I overcame them? I created new ones. Ones so meaningful to me that they consumed the negative ones".

"And when the memories prevent you from doing that?" I confessed. Athenodora looked at me.

"You remember that your human fell victim to them, not your vampire. The transformation process destroyed very piece of skin that they ever touched, every bruise, every mark…it was burned away. You rose from the ashes as a new being," Athenodora eyes continued to drill into mine, "You don't survive, you thrive".

I thought of Marcus' gentle nature, Aro's cunningness and Caius' ruthlessness. In chess, the role of the queen is to protect the king at all costs. I had three kings to protect. In my current stage, flinching at a kiss from really one of three vampires I could ever truly trust…I couldn't protect them. I was giving my tormenters more power over my life. I couldn't be the queen they needed in such a state. I had to become the queen that would be by their side as well as protect them at all costs. As Aro said, I was now a butterfly. My human body was nothing but a damaged cocoon. I had emerged stronger from my experience. That scrum had no power over me anymore. I _would_ be the Queen they needed. I _would_ be the mate they needed. I _would_ do this for myself.

"And that," Athenodora watched me in a trance, like she had seen my inner resolve take shape, "Is why you were destined to be their mate".

* * *

I quickly made my way through the hallways towards the private library. I don't know how I knew but I knew my mates were still there. During my conversation with Athenodora, we both formed a mutual respect. Whether it be because we had both gone through the same trauma or it be because we were determined to emerge stronger from our experiences, I couldn't say. All I knew was that as a result of our conversation, a friendship had formed. I wished her well on her travels and that the Volturi would always be her home. I even told her I looked forward to her return.

" _Who knows?" Athenodora pulled her hood up as she prepared to leave, "I might even find my own mate"._

I slammed the doors to our private library open and my three mates looked up from the various papers scattered across the table.

"Little swan?" Aro asked in surprise at my entrance. I entered and made sure the doors were shut behind me before I looked at my mates.

"You said you would burn the world down if I desired it," I stalked towards them, like a lion pursing their prey, "I don't want that". I stood in front of Aro and rested my hands on his face. His eyes drilled into mine, captive to my words. I pulled his face down and our lips crashed together in a heated kiss. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer to him.

'That scum will have no power over me,' I thought to myself.

I pulled away and my red eyes met his, "I want to be holding the torch by your side that _burns_ it all down". He's eyes darkened in lust and he lips smashed against mine in another passionate kiss. My hands tightened on his face as desire consumed us.

Aro hissed and pulled away, "As much as I want to continue to devour you little swan, you're hurting me". I stared in horror as I watched small cracks appeared on his face from where my fingers drug in during our… _very_ …passionate kiss.

"I'm so sorry!" I quickly pulled my hands away but went to step back but Aro's arms around my waist prevented me from doing so. I could have died in embarrassment as I heard Caius and Marcus chuckle in the background.

Aro also chuckled softly and rested his forehead against mine as the cracks slowly faded away, "Let's light the torch then".

* * *

It had been just over a month since my confession to my mates and despite the mourning I was going through over the loss of my humanity and my loved ones, it had been a surprisingly wonderful time.

Marcus and I spent hours reading together in our library and I was obsessed with listening to the tales of his life. He told me about Didyme and had been helping me through my grief. We had talked at length about what he thought my power was and we settled on calling it a mirrorlike ability. I would reflect a power back to the user. Marcus hypothesised that with practice, I could potentially reflect a user's power elsewhere, like a sunlight hitting a mirror at a certain angle and bouncing elsewhere. However, I needed to learn how to control my ability first. Cue Caius. While Marcus was like a steady stream, Caius was a roaring river.

As his mate, he was determined to make sure I could protect myself and develop the use of my powers. Slave driver was an understatement. I thought it was impossible for vampires to get exhausted. I had even joked with Caius about that. He personally took that as a challenge and was determined to push me every second to my limits. The mental exhaustion I felt after very session from learning how to manipulate the invisible mirrorlike bubble that I had come to see around me was not very fun at all. While exhausting, I enjoyed the time I was spending with him. When he took mercy on me and let me relax, he taught me how to draw and paint which I adored dearly.

Aro had given me free reign over the kitchen and would spend hours watching me bake. Baking was something I couldn't bear to let go of quite yet. It had always something that bought me joy and I was still disappeared that my mates would never be able to taste my cooking. Aro answered all my many questions and educated me about the vampire world. I had even managed to _convince_ Aro to let me donate my cooking to a local charity to distribute to the homeless so the food wouldn't go to waste. If I wasn't in the kitchen, Aro and I would spend hours just playing board games. Aro had a brilliant strategic mind and I was determined that I would beat him one day. Chess was normally our go to game and I was starting to lose slightly less bad which I was incredibly proud of.

My favourite moments though had been when the three of us spent time together. It wasn't often due to their leader duties but when we did, I don't think I have ever been happier. They would teach me different languages or we would lounge around while one of my mate would play an instrument…or even just the three of us talking was therapeutic. It during this down time that I discovered the means behind all the nicknames I hadn't understood. Marcus, my heart. Caius, my queen. Aro, little swan. I teased Aro about not having a more romantic name…right until he said little swan in Italian.

' _That…that was probably the most sexy thing I've ever heard Aro say,'_ I vividly remember thinking. My face has obviously given it away as a smug smile appeared on Aro's face asking if I wanted a new nickname…the answer was a very quick 'no'.

I had started becoming closer to my mates and I could feel my bonds strengthening with each of them. I was starting to learn how to control my bloodlust and my mates were helping me learn how to feed properly. My only concern was Sulpicia. After Aro had broken the news to her, she just disappeared. No one knew where she had gone. Aro wasn't worried and told me several times not too but Marcus had confirmed to me one night that the bond between Aro and Sulpicia, while not a mate bond, had been very close to it…and that gave me concern. I had no doubt over Aro's love for me but I was concerned about the potential issues from Sulpicia. While Athenodora and Caius had a strong bond full of love, it was no where near as intense. Before she left, Athenodora had made it very clear to me that she just wanted Caius to be happy. Only time would tell with Sulpicia I suppose.

We had decided to not disclose to the rest of the Volturi guard that I was the leader's mate until my powers and bloodlust were under better control. Only the close entire circle of their personal guards did; Alec, Demetri, Felix and Jane. They were the four who most commonly guarded us, particularly when we were feeding. Which is where I was now, feeding with my mates in a private room.

_Ba-dum. Ba-dum._

My heard snapped up at the sound of a heartbeat. Venom filled my mouth and my eyes became glued to the door where the sound was coming from. The half-drained body in my arms all but forgotten.

"Don't waste food," Aro chastised when he saw my attention had drifted elsewhere. I glared at him half-heartedly but brought the neck of the corpse back to my lips and continued to drink. My grip tightened on the body as the scent of flowers filled my scenes.

_Knock, Knock_

The large ornament handle banged several on the wood door before it opened. I watched as a young woman, who looked like a model from a fashion magazine, walk in. Her brunette hair was pulled back into a bun, exposing the veins in her neck. I watched with fascination as I could practically see the blood being pumped through. Her coffee eyes met mine and I watched as the blood in her veins started pumping quicker, signalling her fear. Her blood was _sing_ to me! Demetri and Felix quickly blocked the human's view of us.

"Piccolo cigno ( _Little swan)_ ," Aro sighed in disappointment, "Eat". I blinked a few times. I didn't even realise I had put the corpse down. I felt a presence crouch down next to me. A hand ran down my cheek and pulled some of my fallen hair behind my ear.

"Tell me vasílissa mou ( _my queen_ )," I heard Caius whisper into my ear, "What's going through your mind?". I didn't answer. My eyes never left the human. There was so much happening inside me that I didn't even know where to begin. The human's cheap flower perfume burning my nostrils, the constant drumming of her heart, my mouth practically watering or my inner animal begging to hunt the human down. It wasn't until Caius placed a hand underneath my chin and forcefully guided my gaze to his that I regained some bearing.

"Vasílissa mou ( _my queen_ )?" Caius asked as his red eyes drilled into mine.

"There's so much," I admitted, "I don't know, I don't know where to start".

He eyes seemed to light up at my admission, "Let's break it down then". He released my chin and my head automatically snapped back to the human.

"What do you hear?" Caius asked, his lips right near my ear.

"Ah," Aro hummed, "Valentina has bought us something". He signalled for the human to approach. Demetri and Felix parted and allowed the human to walk closer to us.

"Her heartbeat," I replied softly, "It's like a drum. It's a drilling noise in my head. It's getting quicker".

Caius hummed in delight at my response before he turned his attention to Aro, "She should not have interrupted".

"She's new," Aro responded in pity.

That comment brought a small smile to Marcus' face, "Aren't they all?".

Caius turned his attention back to me, "What can you smell?".

"Her perfume is burning my nose," I muttered in annoyance.

Caius hummed in agreement once again and pressed his lips against my cheek, "What does your hunting instinct tell you?".

"As a wise old man once told me," I turned my head and pressed my lips lightly against his, "Go for the jugular".

"Good vasílissa mou ( _my queen_ )," he smirked against my lips, "I will ignore that jab". Aro's excited Italian drew Caius' and my attention.

"Tesoro ( _darling_ )?" I asked in Italian. Aro's favourite language was Italian and with his lessons, I was being to speak more confidently. Marcus' favourite language was Greece while Caius' was French. More importantly though, I had taken it upon myself to learn as much of the three languages as I could so I could designate pet names. My mates had pet names for me and I wanted to return the favour. I had been tossing up with Tesoro, darling in Italian, for Aro but it didn't quite fit him.

Aro looked at me, "Bella and Edward are to be married".

"This is the Cullen's way of announcing her transformation. They mock us with their delays," Caius growled in annoyance as he flashed to Aro's side and read the invitation.

I still love my sister dearly but I did not respect her decision. It was early one morning that Marcus had confessed that he was the reason the search for me was delayed. He knew when I entered this world but resisted the urge to find me. He had wanted me to live a normal life before becoming a vampire. Give me the opportunity to have children which I could not with them. Create memories with my loved ones before I would leave them forever. Marcus had already loved me that much that he was willing to forsake his happiness for a few more years. According to Marcus, while confused at first, a vampire would know the tug of a soul bond. I had spent a good several hours smashing anything in my sight when I heard that. Edward knew Bella was his soul mate and yet he chose to involve himself with her while she was still a very young, impressionable human and rob her of her life. I don't think I could ever forgive him for that.

_Ba-dum. Ba-dum._

I was pulled from my thoughts as I heard the human's heart start to beat quicker from fear. It was during one of my cooking session that I had my whole 'I can't drink people' crisis moments. It had taken a very long decision with Aro to coax me into believing that as a vampire, it was a natural thing to drink human blood. We were an apex predator. As a vampire, I needed to push the human side of me away and embrace the beast to truly thrive. It was then I discovered that the Cullen's only drunk animal blood, hence, their golden eyes. This decision continued for many, many hours before I eventually came around to the idea.

"Patience brother," Aro chirped before he turned his attention to the human, "Although you do have a point…the human did interrupt".

"Tesoro ( _darling_ )?" I purred as my mouth curled into a smile. As horrible as it sounded, the best tasting blood was straight from a live source.

Aro turned to me, "I can never say no to you my little swan".

That was all I needed.

I pounced and latched onto the human's throat before she even realised what was happening.

* * *

**Hello my friends!**

**Thank you so much for your support! I am continuously blown away every time I get an email notification!**

**I apologise for the delay on this chapter! I re-wrote it several times because I just wasn't happy with the flow and the content. I finally settled on this version so I do hope it meets everyone's expectations!**

**I decided to change things up a bit and have Athenodora be a supportive character. I figure after being alive for so long, she would probably be over high school like drama and just want Caius to be happy. Doesn't mean that she wouldn't be catty about it though.**

**I'm so excited for the next chapter (also the reason for the delay in this chapter, I may or may not have started writing chapter 6 before this was completed due to my excitement). As such, I had to re-hash this chapter several times for everything to make sense for future events.**

**Lottie's nicknames for the leaders will be in the next chapter. I'm interested to hear what you think they will be**

**Stay safe xxx**


	6. Chapter 6

Grant Charles had lived a tough life.

That hadn't changed once he had become a vampire. As a human, he had fallen in with the wrong crowd. He considered himself lucky though as that wrong crowd meant that he was turned into a vampire. However, just like his human life, he had once again fallen in with the wrong vampire crowd. He had met a pair of mates and they enjoyed the life of being the apex predator.

The coven leader, Antonio, was a vampire who had been turned during the Spanish revolution. Antonio's wild ways led him to his mate Liliana, who he turned shortly after meeting. They had spent decades feeding off humans and left a trail of destruction in their wake. That's how Grant had come across the two vampires. He had been engaging in less than stellar activities as a human and it piqued the interest of the two. Antonio later turned Grant and the trio started their reign of terror. Feeding and terrorising humans as they pleased without a care in the world. Unfortunately, they had drawn the attention of the Volturi. Antonio had told them many horror stories about the Volturi and what would happen to them if they were ever caught. As strange as it was, it was this fear that made Antonio often injure himself…almost as if Antonio knew the Volturi would catch up to them one day. Antonio was mentally and physically preparing himself for the torture he would experience. Grant and Liliana had dismissed Antonio's strange self-harm ways and chalked it up to Antonio being overly paranoid. After all, one doesn't survive a revolution without a healthy dose of paranoia. Besides, what would the Volturi care about the three of them?

As it would turn out, the Volturi had been monitoring the trio for a while and after their latest terrorisation of a rural human community, the trio's luck had run out. Now, Grant, Antonio and Liliana were being dragged through the hallways of the infamous Volturi coven to the dreaded throne room. Grant watched in horror as the doors were slammed opened and him and his coven members were dragged by the Volturi guards into the foyer of the throne room. Terror consumed him as his gaze fell upon the three infamous vampire kings. Aro, the mind reader sat in the middle throne. Caius, the ruthless blonde leader to Aro's right. Marcus, the half-dead leader (who strangely no longer looked half-dead Grant noted) sat to Aro's left. Antonio and Liliana were thrown to the ground by the red hooded guards and Grant followed closely behind. The guards made sure to keep the trio trapped within their grasp.

"Ahhh," Aro said as he stood up and approached the three restrained vampires, "The not so subtle hunters. I'm assuming you don't need me to explain why you're here?". Grant chose widely to remain silent.

"Who are you to decide where we can and can't eat? We made everything look like an animal attack!" Antonio hissed angrily. Liliana shrieked in agreement with her mate.

"Tsk tsk tsk," Aro hummed as he placed his hand on Antonio's head. Grant watched in both horror and fascination as Aro read Antonio's thoughts.

"How naughty indeed," Aro pulled his hand away and walked back towards his throne, "Jane?". Dreaded instantly consumed Grant.

'That's the crazy vampire Antonio always feared. This is bad! This is so bad!' Grant thought to himself.

A red hooded vampire appeared in front of them and Antonio suddenly hunched over, his body shaking slightly. Grant and Liliana weren't so lucky however. They both started screaming as their pain receptors lit up and it felt like their bodies were on fire.

Antonio, despite his shaking, slowly lifted his head and stared at the hooded vampire in front of them, "I know all about your powers bitch. I ain't gonna give you the pleasure of my screams!". The pain suddenly stopped. Grant managed to lift his head up to see why. From the rumours he had heard about Jane, merciful was not a term that applied to her. It was only then that he saw a beautiful, brunette-haired vampire standing next to the red hooded vampire that was Jane. She was dressed in a dark purple gown that had a deep plunging neckline with silver heels. She appeared to be wearing several pieces of expensive jewellery that matched her glowing bright red eyes.

"Didn't anyone teach you any manners," the mysterious vampire taunted Antonio, "We'll have to change that".

She looked at Jane, "Shall we try something Jane?". The female vampire held her left hand out and Jane hesitantly placed her hand within hers. The unknown vampire lifted her right arm and pointed her palm towards Antonio, reminding Grant of the 'talk to the hand' pose.

'The fuck is going on?' Grant was on the verge of a mental breakdown. He had a bad feeling things were about to get much worse.

The mysterious female continued to stare in Jane's eyes, "If you will Jane".

"Pain," Jane whispered. Antonio's body suddenly snapped back and he started screaming. The unknown female slowly bought her fingers together, as if she was forming a fist, which caused Antonio to start screaming louder. Grant and Liliana watched in terror as their previous unfazed leader was reduced to a screaming mess. The female continued to stare in Jane's eyes and as her fingers closed more and more, Antonio's screams grew louder. Cracks started appearing on Antonio's face from the massive mental pain he was experiencing. Grant had to look away from his maker. It was unlike anything he had seen before and something Grant knew would stay with him forever. His gaze fell back once more on the two female vampires in front of him.

"This is your punishment for calling her a bitch," the female smiled and closed her fingers completely. Antonio let out one more horrific scream before there was a sickening crack noise. Grant slowly turned away from the two female vampires and, despite it being physically impossible, he wanted to throw up at the sight before him. Antonio's head had collapsed under all the pressure from the cracks that had formed in his head.

"You were right my loves," the mysterious female dropped her hand and looked at the Volturi leaders, "I can concentrate my mirror and use it to reflect a person's power to another person at a much greater intensity. Like a magnifying glass focusing light on an ant".

Aro clapped his hands together in joy, "How marvellous my little swan! What a combination you and Jane make!".

'…just who the fuck is this bitch?' Grant thought in terror.

The female smiled fondly at the leaders before she turned back to look at Jane, the same fond smile still on her face, "Shall we explore this partnership more Jane?". Jane removed her hood and a feral like smile appeared on her child-like face. The female vampire lifted her right arm again and pointed her hand at Grant. The female vampire held her left hand out and Jane's hand covered hers once again.

"No!" Grant begged, "Please no!".

"Pain".

It was the last thing Grant ever heard.

* * *

It had been several months since we had received the invitation for my sister's wedding. As much as I wanted to crash the wedding, because it would have been brilliant to see the Cullens' and my sister explain why I was not so dead, it meant that I would be putting my loved ones in danger. Humans could not know about the existence of vampires and it would be unfair if my loved ones did and were either not killed or turned. While I was still very upset with my twin, I loved my family and friends more then to put them through that suffering.

'August 13th,' I thought to myself, 'The day my sister married Edward and the day she would have lost her humanity'. It was just under two weeks until Christmas and I couldn't contain my excitement. Many of the guards had not celebrated Christmas in centuries and I was determined to bring the Christmas spirit back to the coven. During my time with the Volturi, I had started growing close with the personal guards who guarded myself and my mates; Jane, Alec, Demetri and Felix. Now that my thirst was under much more control and I had been exposed to more political issues, I had been introduced to the remainder of the coven members. Unlike our personal guard, I still had a much more professional demeanor with the remainder of the coven members. Until I had their respect as their leader, I kept all my relationships strictly as their ruler. My mates had slowly been exposing me to more and more of the issues they face as leaders. Normally, I was hidden away in the sea of red cloaks and if I felt confident, I would emerge and handle the situation myself. I was careful with this though. The outside world did not yet know of my existence and my mates and I agreed to keep it that way for a bit longer. In a majority of the cases, unless the vampires involved were to be executed, I watched hidden away on the sidelines.

"Do you think it's possible that they own every book ever written?" I asked Jane one day after we had finished training, "There's certainly plenty of libraries that I wouldn't be surprised if they did". Jane and I had developed a bit of an unusual relationship ever since we discovered that I could intensify my mirror-like ability. I came to view her as a younger sister and slowly, every so pain snakingly slowly, Jane had started to open up a bit to me during the time we spent together. I was confident, while maybe not the sister relationship I viewed it as, Jane did value our friendship.

Jane stared blankly at me, "No. If you want to get them books for Christmas, I would advise that you clean their personal library up first. Have an idea about what books they treasure most and you can go from there".

"Oh Jane," I smiled cheekily at her, "You're so smart! How did you know that's what I was planning? You know the saying, those who torture together, stay together".

Jane rolled her eyes at me, "You are always so dramatic".

I bid my farewell to Jane and started on the marathon task of organising the private library I shared with my mates. It was only then that I truly came to understand just how many books my mates had collected over the years…and this was only their personal library! There was no order to the system and I found myself becoming more and more frustrated as a result. It was evident that there was simply not enough room for all the books they had gathered over the years.

I was perched high on a ladder shifting through another shelf when I heard, "What are you doing i kardiá mou?".

I turned around and looked at my beautiful mate Marcus standing in the library doorway, "Do you realise how many books you have? Not that I'm complaining but there's no order to them. How am I meant to know what to get you for Christmas if I can't tell what books you already have?".

Marcus smiled at me, "I kardiá mou, your presence is gift enough. You don't need to get us anything". Marcus entered the library and walked over to our loveseat before taking a seat. It was after all the time of day where we would read together.

"I know," I assured him, "But it's our first Christmas together and I want it to be special". I turned back to the shelf I was arranging, keen to finish so I could spend time with Marcus. It was only then that I saw a book wedged between the shelf and the back of the cabinet.

"What's this?" I muttered to myself as I fished the book out and wiped the dust away from the surface of the book. I carefully opened the cover and was surprised to see writing in a language I had never seen before. I am proud to say that over the last few moments, and with the help of my mates, I have learnt at least a bit about most languages. My specialises were still Italian, Greek and French as per my mates but I was confident I could at least identify any language. The language in the book was something I had never come across before. The pages inside were old, shrivelled paper and were a complete mismatch to the much newer looking cover. I gracefully jumped off the ladder and approached Marcus.

"Marcus, what language is this? I've never seen it," I asked in fascination as I sat down next to him and curled up into his side.

Marcus wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him as he carefully opened the book and studied the words for a few minutes, "It's Mapudungun".

"Mapudungun?" I asked in confusion, "I've never heard of it".

"It's the language of the Native people of Chile," Marcus said as his eyes roamed over the handwriting on the page, "I came across these pages from the remains of a burnt-up village when the Volturi had travelled to the area to sort out a werewolf problem. The person who had written them had gone to great efforts for the pages to survive whatever burned the village down. I had all the pages bound together in this book but never got around to reading them".

I hummed, "Shall we change that? Do you know how to read it?". I watched in wonder as Marcus continued to flick through the pages in the book.

Marcus started to run his hand up and down my arm, "It's definitely been several centuries since I last have but I remember enough. I will translate it into English as I go thought I may need to add words for the translation to make sense. Where did you find this?".

"At the back of one of the bookcases. It had appeared to be pushed to the back when other books were added and fell into the cracks," I smirked at him, "See what happens when you don't organise your library".

Marcus smiled slightly at my teasing as he turned back to the first page, "From my brief reading of it, it appears to be the journal of the village scribe dating back to maybe the 1850s. The first page details that a man from a far away land visited the tribe and gifted them paper. The scribe notes that he previously wrote on rocks or giant leaves but he found this paper to be much durable".

"Well that was nice," I muttered as I snuggled into Marcus' side as he continued to read through the journal. It detailed the daily life of the tribe, the events the tribe experienced but my favourite section was when the scribe described his own life. It detailed his grief over the loss of his love Huilen, him finding love again with the apprentice of the village healer and the family he went onto have with her.

"There seems to be quite a jump from the previous entry to this one," Marcus began, "It has been many moons since I last wrote but I had too. I joined my sons on a hunt and I could not believe my eyes! My beautiful Huilen had become a red-eyed libishomen. She had not aged a day since I last saw her. The young man next to her looked so much like Pire. Maybe her son? They shined in the sunlight. Huilen brightly, the male shined but nowhere near as bright. His glow was very dull".

I frowned slightly as I looked at Marcus, "That sounds awfully like a vampire but one to shine brightly while the other doesn't? That's strange".

"You're right i kardiá mou," Marcus frowned as well, "Libishomen is a local term for vampire. It sounds like Huilen somehow become a vampire. It is strange about the male though. I've never heard about a vampire not fully shining in the sunlight".

"He mentioned earlier that Pire was Huilen's sister correct? And that they disappeared one night together?" I asked, "Maybe Pire had a child and Huilen turned him when he was old enough?".

Marcus hummed as he turned the page and continued to read, "It appears that the final entry notes that the man who gifted the paper returned, unaged from their first encounter all those years ago, days after the scribe saw Huilen and the mystery male. The man said he was searching for the half-libishomen. Apparently, he didn't like the answer he received from the Village Head and started killing the villagers. The entry abruptly ends there".

"So, the man who gifted the paper all those years prior was a vampire? And he returned years later to find a half-libishomen?" I asked in confusion, "Where did you find these pages exactly?".

"It would appear so but a half-libishomen…I've never heard anything like it. We came across the village in a remote area on our last day in Chile. It appeared that the village had been destroyed for quite some time. Burned to the ground. The guards and I had investigated the site in case it was related to the werewolves we were hunting down. As we investigated the site, I found the pages buried in the ground underneath one of the buried bodies. Based on what we know now, it appears the scribe buried the papers underneath his house when the vampire started attacking the tribe and the scribe's body hid the evidence of the buried papers he protected," Marcus explained, "I took the pages because once we deemed that the destroyed village had nothing to do with the werewolves, I wanted to add Mapudungun to our library as we had yet too".

"Unbelievable," I muttered, "You can't locate a book in this damn library, but you knew you didn't have Mapudungun in the library".

Marcus chuckled and kissed my head, "Mapudungun is a rare language. It hadn't been well-preserved on rocks and leaves but the paper had kept the writings safe".

"What a tale though. The scribe was gifted paper from the vampire that would later kill him. His first love turned into a vampire and a mysterious vampire, who looks Huilen's sister, that could be a half-vampire?" I took the book from Marcus' hands and flipped through the pages that I could not read, hoping it would provide more answers, "I didn't know half-vampires were such a thing? I mean, you mentioned that not-so-little Marcus comes to life because I am your mate. Maybe Pire found her vampire mate while she was human?".

Marcus carefully plucked the books from my hands and quickly flipped through the pages, "I've never heard of such a thing. Half-vampire? I suppose that theoretically, it could be possible that a male vampire could impregnate a female human if she is his singer. But the taste of her blood would be overwhelming. I do not know of a vampire with enough resistance to not drain or kill the human during the sexual act".

"It's possible though," I argued.

"It is," Marcus didn't disagree with me, "But in all my years, I've never heard of anything like it".

I hummed in thought, "Interesting".

"A topic we can discuss later i kardiá mou. We are due to see Aro and Caius for your lessons," Marcus kissed my head once more and we untangled ourselves from each other before we headed towards a small chamber that my mates and I used for my studies. The library was our place of relaxation and I refused to bring work into the space. Marcus and I entered the room and my two other mates looked up from the books surrounding them. While not as big as the throne room, the chamber was still a decent size. There were four thrones and a drainage area in case we wanted to eat in the room. To the side, where two of my mates were currently sitting, was an oval shaped table with four chairs.

"My little swan," Aro greeted while Caius nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"What am I learning today?" I asked as myself and Marcus took a seat at the table. There were piles of ancient looking books stacked high on the table.

"We are reviewing the financial records over the last few decades," Caius explained as he turned the page of a book he was reading, "We are investigating our investments and whether we need to make any changes".

"Well…that sounds like fun," I chipped unenthusiastically as I picked up a book, "What exactly do I need to do?". My mates explained in great detail about how to read the financial records, how to determine the returns on the investment, what money was being spent on in the coven and what the coven's overall financial position was. I had argued that a computer could easily do this and was promptly informed that a computer could be hacked…sealed books that lived in the belly of the Volturi, not so much. As we reviewed the records, my mates would randomly quiz me on other topics I had studied with them.

" _You must be able to draw on your knowledge quickly," Caius justified._

After several hours, Aro stood up and walked behind me.

"Tell me my little swan," Aro placed his hands on my shoulders and massaged them softly, "What are the most common issues that we deal with?".

I placed my hands over Aro's and squeezed them slightly, "Exposure to humans, arguments between covens, vampires trespassing on the land of covens, immortal children and covens moving against us".

Aro lent forward and kissed my cheek, "Well done my little swan. What is the expectation for trespassing vampires?".

"It is not trespassing if the trespassing vampire is blood related to one of the vampires of the coven," Aro spun me around and pressed his lips against mine. I quickly reciprocated and wrapped my arms around his neck as the kiss became more heated.

"If you two are both done," Caius drawled, "We appear to have a guest". Aro and I pulled apart and he stood beside me as Demetri opened the doors. A female vampire wearing a black dress with gold eyes and blonde coloured hair pulled into a bun was escorted in by Felix. Alec and Jane watched from the shadows in case the vampire appeared to be of any threat.

"What a pleasant surprise," Aro said as the female vampire cautiously approached us but stopped a few feet away. Her eyes flashed towards me before quickly returning to Aro.

Caius snapped his book shut in annoyance and turned to the intruder, "What do you want?".

The vampire hesitated before she slowly walked towards us, "I'm here to report a crime. The Cullens'…they've done something…terrible". My eyes narrowed slightly at her.

'What was my dear twin up too now? Maybe, even though Carlisle had said she had been turned, Bella hadn't been turned?' I thought to myself.

"Allow me my dear," Aro soothed as approached her and took the vampire's hand.

"Her name is Irina," Caius whispered silently to me, "She's a vampire belonging to the Denali coven who fed on animal blood. The Volturi had a run in with their maker Sasha. Her maker was killed after she had created an immortal child".

"Oh my," Aro suddenly said as he released Irina's hand, "That is very serious. Demetri, could you please escort dear Irina to one of our guest rooms? My brothers and I have much to discuss". Demetri bowed and escorted a very hesitant Irina out of the room.

"What did you see Aro?" I asked my mate.

Aro returned to his seat, "Edward and your sister have created an immortal child".

I sat there in stunned disbelief, "…what?".

"Those fools," Caius smirked, "It's been a while since we've last had a fight".

"Are you sure?" I asked, still trying to get over my disbelief, "She wouldn't do such a thing".

' _I joined my sons on a hunt and I could not believe my eyes! My beautiful Huilen had become a red-eyed libishomen. She had not aged a day since I last saw her. The young man next to her looked so much like Pire. Maybe her son? They shined in the sunlight. Huilen brightly, the male shined but nowhere near as bright. His glow was very dull'_

'Was it too outrageous to think that it might not be an immortal child? Bella and Edward were mates so was it really outlandish to think that they could create a half human half vampire child? A hybrid' I thought to myself. I watched from the corner of my eye as Demetri re-entered the room and took his position in the shadows amongst our personal guards.

I hesitated, "What if I go to Forks and investigate myself?".

"No," Caius replied instantly.

I sighed, "Hear me out Caius".

"What is there to consider vasílissa mou?" Caius asked in curiosity, "You're not going-".

"Now, now, brother," Aro interrupted Caius, "Let's not be too hasty brother. Let's hear what our little swan has to say".

"You're even considering this Aro?" Caius roared in anger.

"I'm asking you to trust me," I snapped back, "I know my sister. She's not an idiot, though she sometimes acts like one, and wouldn't do anything to risk the safety of Edward".

"No," Caius repeated.

I growled in annoyance, "Listen to me Caius. Marcus and I were reading in the library and I want to investigate further. I know my sister and there's enough doubt in my mind about whether this is indeed an immortal child".

"And pray tell vasílissa mou, what is it that you read that causes you such doubt over this creature being immortal child," Caius taunted. I narrowed my eyes in frustration at Caius' condescending tone.

"It was a tale from a scribe who lived in a remote village in Chile. The area we visited over a hundred years ago to deal with those werewolves. I found those pages and had them bound into a book. I had never had a chance to read them and i kardiá mou found the book when she was cleaning. It mentions the potential existence of a half-vampire," Marcus explained.

Caius didn't respond immediately, "You expect me to risk the life of our mate over a rumour you both read by a human who had no idea what really existed out there in the world?".

"I know it sounds…far reaching…but trust me Caius. I know my sister and the Cullen's aren't stupid. They barely left Italy alive last time they came to the Volturi. As if they would risk our wrath again so soon," I tried to reason with my stubborn mate as I stood from my chair, "Trust me Caius".

Caius leap from his chair and appeared in front of me but I refused to cower under his gaze, "I trust you Charlotte. I do not however trust the vampires you seem so content to return to". This is how serious this issue was to Caius. The only time he ever called me Charlotte was during our intimate moments together, when it was only myself or our mates.

"I don't trust them either," I assured Caius as I cupped his face between my hands, "But I do know my sister. She wouldn't do this and there's too much doubt in my mind over what I read".

Caius and I stared at each other for several moments. He lent down and rested his forehead against mine, "I'm sorry vasílissa mou. I cannot let you do this. If anything was to happen to you, I would never forgive myself. You are so young and are barely able to control your bloodlust at the best of times".

I sighed before pressing my lips against Caius, "Please Caius. I'll be back within 24 hours".

"That's 24 hours too long not in the safety of the coven. We have so many enemies vasílissa mou. They would not hesitate to take you…to hurt you," his eyes somehow turned blacker. Really confirming to me how much Caius feared for my safety if I was to leave the coven.

"Leave us," Marcus ordered. Demetri, Felix, Alec and Jane disappeared from the shadows.

"I agree with Caius. You do not know what you ask i kardiá mou," Marcus stood up from his chair and approached us. I removed one of my hands from Caius' cheek and placed it on Marcus' cheek when he was close enough.

I cradled each of their cheeks in my hand and my thumbs stroked little patterns, "I know what I ask is high but I am doing this for us. You read what I read Marcus. You have the same doubts that I do. Imagine what would happen if we went marching with an army for it not to be an immortal child. It would look like the Volturi are power hungry and looking for any reason for a fight. And if it is possible for a hybrid to exist, how bad would it look if the Volturi had no idea about it".

Marcus covered my hand with his, "I know what we read i kardiá mou but we cannot take such a huge risk with your life. We will face the repercussions together. A hybrid? A half human half vampire creature from the ramblings of a scribe in a remote village? Your life cannot be risked on something so flimsy". I frowned at Marcus and Caius. I understood their concerns but not investigating this further would be the downfall of the Volturi. It would show that we were impulsive, 'shot first, ask later' so to speak. We had so many enemies already, we couldn't afford to give them any more leverage when it could be prevented. It was only then I noticed that Aro had been strangely silent. My gaze turned to Aro who appeared to be deep in thought.

I stepped away from my mates and headed towards Aro, "Aro?". He appeared to snap out of his thoughts. I held my hand out for Aro to take.

"Please Aro," I begged him, "See my plan". Aro and I were locked in a staring contest before he reluctantly reached out and took my hand. I closed my eyes and focused on lowing my mirror so Aro could read my thoughts. I opened my eyes and observed Aro as he took in all my thoughts.

Aro pulled me into arms and cradled me close, "I can never say no to you my little swan".

* * *

**Thank you everyone for your support and my apologies for the delay!**

**Unfortunately I fell quite ill a few weeks ago and am still yet to fully recover! I apologise in advance if some aspects of this chapter do not make sense. I'm still taking some heavy medications so while I have edited again and again, some bits and pieces may have spilled through the cracks.**

**A goal of mine for this story has been to tie up some of the loose ends that were in Twilight. A big point that I wanted to address was the damage to the Volturi's reputation at the end of Breaking Dawn. With how scheming the Volturi are, I found it hard to believe that they wouldn't have sent any spies to investigate Irina's claims before bringing the whole coven to Forks.**

**I thought of a creative way that the Volturi could be made aware of the rumours but still create the uncertainty about whether a hybrid was even possible. I fact checked as much as possible and confirmed that paper was indeed a thing back in the 1850s (not the same paper we have today but still a thing back then!). As the chapter was getting quite long, I have split it into two sections. The next chapter will explain further why Charlotte is the best vampire for the job of spying and she will be seeing some very familiar faces soon!**

**Thank you everyone for your continued support!**

**Stay safe xxx**


	7. Chapter 7

"They'll have no idea I'm coming," I tried to reason with Marcus and Caius, "My mirror reflects Alice's visions and it hides my scent. They'll never know I'm there, but I can confirm whether we are dealing with an immortal child. Alice will be watching you and the other Volturi members, they don't know about me so I can slip in and out undetected".

Caius growled in annoyance, "I understand your reasoning vasílissa mou but there are too many risks involved".

"24 hours," I tried once again, "19-hour return trip by the private jet with 5-hours to investigate". None of my mates spoke for several minutes.

"21 hours," Marcus suddenly broke the silence, "19-hour return trip by the private jet with 2-hours to investigate and contact every 20 minutes during the 2-hour investigation window".

I quickly approached Marcus and pressed my lips against his, "Thank you to fos mou ( _my light_ )". I looked over at Caius who was deep in thought. I approached Caius and placed my hands on either side of his face, gently forcing him to lift his head and make eye contact with me.

"Please ma force ( _my strength_ )," I begged Caius. Despite how much I wanted too, I wouldn't do this without the approval of all my mates. Caius and I stared into each other's eyes for several, long quiet minutes.

"20 hours," Caius eventually broke the silence, "19-hour return trip by the private jet with one hour to investigate and contact every 20 minutes".

"20.5 hours," I countered, "19-hour return trip by the private jet with 90 minutes to investigate and contact every 15 minutes".

A small smirk appeared on Caius' face, "You are indeed a force to be reckoned with Lottie. Deal". I smiled gently at Caius before kissing him passionately. I poured all my gratitude and love into our kisses.

"Thank you ma force ( _my strength_ ), thank you," I whispered as I briefly pulled away before we resumed kissing. Caius and I pulled away and we rested our foreheads together in silence. I knew Caius needed time to process the thought of me leaving the safety of the coven. Out of all my mates, Caius was the most protective and him allowing me to leave, even for such a short period of time, would be hard for him. I knew the Volturi had enemies and I didn't even want to imagine what would happen if I fell into their hands. My only saving grace was that my presence was currently unknown and my power protected my scent.

I kissed Caius one final time, "I'll leave within the hour".

* * *

_I had been planning to ask this for a while but I was still hesitant on how to best approach the topic with my mates. I wanted to wait for the perfect moment but it never seemed an appropriate time. It was only one evening when Aro and I were playing a game of chess in our private library that I decided to rip the band-aid off so to speak._

" _How do I earn money?" I asked Aro abruptly._

_Aro looked up from the chess game, "Why would you need money my little swan?"._

_I looked away from my mate and focused my attention back to the chess game I was miserably losing, "I would like to buy something". I moved my pawn._

" _And what would that something be?" Aro prompted as he moved his knight and took my pawn._

" _Before I became a vampire, my fri…my friends and I restored a 1967 Chevrolet Impala. I unfortunately didn't get to finish it though. I want to rectify that," I explained. I moved my bishop and took Aro's knight. If Aro noticed my hesitation over my use of the term 'friends', he didn't mention it._

" _Leave it with me little swan," Aro replied, effectively ending the conversation. While Aro and I had only known each other for a small time, I had come to understand the terms he would use when he was done with a conversation. 'Leave it with me' was normally his go to. I reluctantly dropped the topic and returned my attention to the game in front of us._

_It was a week later when I approached Aro for our usual daily chess game when instead of leading me to the library, he directed me to follow him elsewhere. We entered a section of the castle I had never been to before and my curiosity continued to grow as I eagerly followed my mate. We entered a warehouse looking room and sitting in the middle was a dark blue 1967 Chevrolet Impala. It looked absolutely gorgeous._

" _Wow," I whispered in surprised as I slowly approached the car and inspected it. Everything had been sculpted to perfection and the car looked stunning._

" _Does this please you my little swan?" Aro asked from the doorway entry. I hadn't even realised he was observing me checking out the car in front of me._

" _It's absolutely perfect," I admitted as I softly ran my hand down the hood of the car, paranoid that my newborn strength would damage the car._

_Aro suddenly appeared beside me and placed his hand over mine on the car, "I sense a but though". I looked at him and hesitated. He had gone to a lot of effort to get me such a beautiful car. Did I dare ask a seemingly foolish request?_

" _Little swan?" Aro prompted._

' _Rip it off like a band-aid,' I thought._

" _Can we destroy this car together? Not completely damage it beyond repair but enough that we can restore it. Sculpt it in the way we want it to be," I quickly said before my nerves got the better of me. Aro's expression was almost comical._

" _Let me make sure I have this right my little swan," Aro began, "You want to destroy a perfectly good car so you can put it back together? There are mechanics who do that and you won't get dirty"._

_A sly smile appeared on my face, "Well mio salvatore (my saviour), you raise a very good point". I untangled my hand from Aro's and walked around the car to the side where I knew the oil tank was. I carefully popped the fuel cap off and slid my hand into the fuel tank, the metal easily giving way due to my vampire strength._

" _Mio salvatore (my saviour)?" Aro raised an eyebrow at his nickname._

_I could fuel the oil and managed to scope up some of the oil in my hand, "You turned me. You saved my life. I owe all my happiness to you. My saviour in your favourite language of Italian seems appropriate I would say"._

" _Charlotte-," Aro began before I interrupted him._

" _Lottie. All my family and friends did. As a vampire, only my mates will," I smiled._

_Aro smiled as well, "Lottie. My Lottie-". As Aro was speaking, I quickly pulled my hand out of the fuel tank and flung the oil at Aro. I watched in gleeful satisfaction as some of the oil landed on Aro's cheek. Whether he chose not to avoid it I'll never know but the stunned expression on his face would be something I would never forget._

" _I love you Aro, mio salvatore (my saviour). However, you need to loosen up," I purred as my oil stained fingers curled around the door handle, "We both know that you are the unofficial leader of the Volturi. Yes, our mates contribute but the decisions are ultimately decided by you. I feel that you sometimes forget that there is more to life than endless power and blind ambition"._

_I tugged the car door off its hinges, "As your mate I know you. You're constantly on guard and plotting…so…you need to loosen up". I flung the car door at Aro and watched in delight as he side-stepped out of the way._

" _Well my dear Lottie," Aro swiftly ripped the car's hood off, "I would hate to disappoint you". I found myself quickly having to move out of the way of a flying piece of metal. Within moments a car door flies towards me and I realised I had to retaliate. I pulled a tyre off the car and toss it in Aro's general direction. It was then I heard the most wonderful sound, Aro's laugh. His true genuine laugh. It was magical. We continued dismantling the car and tossing the pieces at each other until there was physically nothing left of the car to throw._

" _It definitely needs to be restored now," I chuckled looking at the dismantled car, "Did you have fun?"._

_Aro strolled over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist as his chin came to rest on my shoulder, "More then I have in a long time Lottie"._

_I placed my hands over his and hummed, "You have no idea how happy that makes me Aro. I'm so glad you enjoyed yourself". He squeezed me tightly in his arms as we stood in a comfortable silence._

" _What do we need to do now Lottie?" Aro asked. I looked at the destroyed shell of a car in front of me and I was excited to share my passion with my mate._

" _Let's break it down. First off," I began as I approached the car._

* * *

Arriving in Seattle in a private jet was such a surreal experience. Despite it being impossible, I thought my heart would burst out of my chest from the anxiety I was feeling. I looked over myself in the mirror one last time. I looked completely unrecognisable. The oversize sunglasses hid my red eyes along with most of my face, the bleach blonde curly shoulder length wig hid my brunette hair and the black catsuit was something I would never normally wear. If by any chance I stumbled across someone I use to know from my human life, I was as far away from the Charlotte they knew that they would never recognise me.

"Siamo arrivati tua altezza ( _we have arrived your highness_ )," the hostess called out in Italian. I fixed my wig one last time before exiting the bathroom.

"Grazie ( _thank you_ )," I said in Italian as I walked past her and approached the exit of the plane, "Ci vediamo tra 90 minuti ( _see you in 90 minutes_ ). The crew that joined me on my trip to Seattle was the Volturi's most trusted flight crew.

Abrax was an Egyptian man who had been changed in his mid-forties and had been the pilot of the Volturi coven for as long as planes existed. He was even the pilot who flew the jet when I was human. The hostess on the flight was a female vampire called Ahura. Abrax turned Ahura when she was a young teenager, borderline almost immortal child. Thankfully when the duo came across the Volturi's path, Ahura had been a vampire for many decades and her bloodlust control saved them from the Volturi's justice.

Marcus and Abrax had become friends over the centuries, and arguably the only true friend Marcus had after Didyme's death. The duo did not crave wealth of physical items but desired the wealth that was knowledge. While vampires were almost indestructible, a high-speed crash in an airplane could potentially kill one. Marcus reached out to Abrax about being the coven's pilot and the emergence of such advanced technology drew the duo to serve the coven. When not flying planes, Abrax and Ahura were free to conduct whatever scientific experiments they desired. I wasn't exactly sure of the details but all I knew was that the Volturi didn't look too closely at what the duo chose to do. While they had mastered countless languages over the years, they chose only to speak in Italian to assist me with my learning.

The plane door popped opened and I quickly began my journey to Forks after sending a text to my mates. Being a newborn, my speed was impressive and I was at the Forks border within minutes. It felt so strange being home. Nothing had changed about Forks but so much had changed with me. I vaguely recalled where the Cullen's lived from the one time I had picked Bella up and I could sense multiple vampires along with something unknown in the area of the woods. I followed my senses and dashed into the woods towards the large gathering of vampires.

* * *

_My favourite part of the whole castle was the impressive 39-acre garden. It was a wonderland of various plants and flowers from across the world. The rose garden was without a doubt the jewel in the crown and bloomed in the very centre of the masterpiece. It was one of those perfect days where the wind blew just strongly enough for the already beautiful garden to further come alive with the gentle swaying of the roses. With the rose garden being in the centre, I was free to come whether it be day or night as it was private enough that no one could see anyone sparkle. My mates had a visiting coven from Japan later tonight so they had the afternoon free to themselves. Aro was off conversing with his favourite guards while Marcus had gone to visit Didyme's grave. I smiled softly to myself as I lightly trailed my fingers over the various rose petals. I found a patch of roses underneath the sun and had decided to spend the afternoon sitting in the garden, just enjoying nature's beauty._

" _I wish you could see through my eyes how incredibly stunning you look"._

_I turned around and I beamed, "Caius". Caius was leaning up against the stone pillar with his arms crossed, just watching me. He's body shielded in the shadows._

_I held out my hand, "Come join me". He pushed himself off the pillar and walked into the sunlight. My breath would have been taken away if possible. He came alive under the sun and his skin literally turned to diamonds before my eyes. He sat down beside me and I quickly made myself comfortable on his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head against his chest._

" _I forgot how clingy you are. Like my own personal koala," Caius chuckled in amusement and started to stroke my hair. I smiled into his chest and enjoyed being able to spend the alone time with him._

" _You're always so strong. If the best support I can be is your personal koala, then personal koala I shall be," I commented, "This garden reminds me of the one at Buckingham Palace"._

_Caius scoffed, "Please. What do you think inspired the garden at Buckingham Palace?"._

_I lifted my head and looked at Caius in surprise, "This? This inspired Buckingham Palace?"._

" _But of course. Years ago, Aro toyed with the idea of introducing the human royal families into the fact that vampires were real. It was an idea centred around having easier access to blood as the world was starting to change. The castle was opened to the royal families and their selected staff. It was eventually decided against introducing our existence to the humans but by that stage, it was far too late to cancel. They came, they saw, they were sent away and we hid ourselves for several decades until everyone who had ever visited died," Caius explained._

" _Or they became a meal if they asked too many questions," I added cheekily._

_Caius chuckled but agreed, "Or they became a meal if they asked too many questions". Caius and I laid in the sun, wrapped in each other's arms._

" _What was your human life like?" I asked._

_Caius hummed as his hand stroked my arm, "I don't remember much. I was born in Greece somewhere around 1300BC and became a vampire several years later. I only remember flashes. I had six siblings with myself being the eldest. Three younger brothers and three younger sisters"._

" _The eldest of six? Explains why you're always so protective," I teased my mate._

" _Very funny vasílissa mou," Caius kissed my forehead, "I remember the busy mealtimes I had with my siblings and when I became an uncle. I can't remember which of my siblings had the kids but I recall playing games with the children"._

_I didn't respond immediately, "Do you miss them?"._

" _During my first few decades as a vampire, I recall the sadness over the lost of my loved ones but I then found Athenodora and Aro and Marcus. The rest is history," Caius trailed off. Caius and I continued to cuddle in the sunlight and it was then that the inspiration for Caius' nickname struck me._

" _Ma force (my strength)," I broke the comfortable silence._

" _Ma force (my strength)?" Caius asked in confusion._

_I hummed in agreement, "My strength in your favourite language of French. You are the unstoppable typhoon and the ruthless river that doesn't bend for anyone. Hence your nickname of ma force (my strength)"._

" _I'll be back in a moment Charlotte," Caius said before he untangled himself and disappeared. I stretched in the sunlight like an overgrown cat and lifted my hand up to admire the diamond like shine. I heard Caius reappear and when I looked at him, I was surprised to see he had set up a little art station. He had a paint easel set up with a canvas on it and a range of colours beside him._

" _Lottie," I said to him as I watched him start to paint at a human pace, "Lottie is what my family and friends use to call me. As a vampire, only my mates can call me Lottie. What are you painting?"._

" _As you know Lottie, painting has always been something to calm me. What better way to celebrate your nickname for me then to forever picture this moment," Caius explained as his eyes moved from the canvas to myself and then back to the canvas._

_I chuckled, "They do say 'take a picture and it'll last longer'. Or in your case, paint a picture, it'll last longer"._

_Caius hummed in agreement, "The downside with the rapid advancement of technology is that the art of painting has been lost. Painting allows me to capture every line, every spec of detail that I can see but a camera does not do justice for"._

" _Well then," I rolled onto my side and placed one hand on my hip and another hand underneath my head, "Paint me like one of your French girls"._

_Caius rolled his eyes at my childish behaviour, "From my own firsthand knowledge, no such love story ever occurred on the Titanic nor would it have ever occurred on the Titanic. The first-class passengers had no mingling with the peasants. Don't move"._

" _I refuse to let you ruin Titanic for me," I muttered. Caius leant to the side of the canvas to look at me and smirked slyly._

" _Did you know when I was on the Titanic," Caius began._

* * *

"We shouldn't be out here much longer Nessie," Jacob said in concern as he watched his imprint wonder through the woods, "It's going to be night soon and your mother would literally kill me".

Renesmee nodded in understanding but continued to walk deeper into the woods, "I understand but just a bit longer". Suddenly, a bleach blonde haired vampire wearing a catsuit appeared in front of her. Jacob roared and quickly transformed into a giant wolf, ready to attack and defend his imprint. Renesmee quickly moved away from the stranger and stood behind Jacob.

"Woah!" the vampire held her hands up, "I mean no harm! I'm sorry for startling you". Jacob growled in warning, he had already sent an alert to his pack mates for backup. He studied the leech in front of him and was not impressed by what he saw. The female vampire had bleach blonde curly hair, wore the most ridiculous oversized sunglasses he had ever seen and the black catsuit she wore left absolutely nothing to the imagination.

'It's obvious how she attracts her meals,' Jacob thought in disgust, not even realising he had portrayed his thoughts over his pack's link.

'Ooo! A total babe huh? I can't wait to see,' Embry thought, 'I'll be there in two'.

'Keep it in your pants Embry,' Jared replied in disgust, 'Two minutes out as well'.

'Jokes on you Jared! I ain't wearing any pants!' Embry responded cheekily.

Jared pretended to vomit, 'Hey mate. I can only sense you and Nessie. I can't sense the vampire'.

Renesmee's head popped out around Jacob's form, "Are you another vampire here to help my family?". Jacob quickly closed off the pack link, ready to defend his imprint no matter the cost but he did note that Jared was right. He couldn't smell the leech in front of him.

The woman smiled, "I am".

Renesmee smiled back at the mystery vampire and walked around her imprint towards her, despite the warning growl of her mate. She held her hand out but the female didn't react. Just then, Embry and Jared's wolf forms came crashing into the clearing. The female vampire dropped into a crouch position, preparing herself for a fight. Renesmee looked at the two wolves.

"Embry, Jared," Renesmee scowled them before she looked at the defensive vampire, "I'm sorry about them. I need you to hold my hand to see my proof". The female vampire didn't move for several long minutes before she held out her hand, still crouching down and not moving from her spot. Renesmee approached the female and just before their hands touched, the previously undetectable scent of the female vampire filled the air. Renesmee placed her hand in the mysterious female's and Jacob watched on edge as Nessie showed the vampire her memories. Jacob suddenly sensed two vampires approaching from the Cullen's house.

'Must be Edward and Bella,' he thought as he continued to watch the exchange between his imprint and the unknown vampire. After the exchange, Nessie moved her hand away.

"Will you help my family?" She asked the vampire.

The vampire smiled at her, "I promise I will pass this onto my mate". Her scent disappeared and then the female vampire took off just as Bella arrived in the clearing.

"Who was that?" she hissed as she quickly rushed over to her daughter. Edward arrived a few seconds later and looked relieved once when he found his wife and child unharmed.

'An unknown female vampire. She was here to hear Nessie's story,' Jacob thought as he was in his wolf form, 'She said she would talk to her mate'.

"She came here as a potential ally. She left to talk to her mate," Edward repeated for his family.

"Why would she not wait for us to arrive?" Bella asked in concerned.

Embry shifted guiltily and thought, 'Jared and I may have spooked her when we arrived. She was on edge and may have thought more wolves were coming'.

Edward nodded in understanding, "That makes sense. Embry stated that his and Jared's arrival spooked the female and she may have fled thinking there were more wolves coming. What doesn't make sense is that her scent appeared and then disappeared within moments".

"A gifted vampire then?" Bella guessed.

"Could be," Edward replied, "I don't recognise the scent so she's no one familiar to our coven".

Jacob piped up through his thoughts, 'We only could smell her just before Nessie touched her and disappeared once Nessie drew away'.

"Jacob said that her scent appeared just before Nessie touched her and stopped after Nessie shared her story," Edward looked concerned.

"Let's head back home and we can talk with the others," Bella said as she scooped Renesmee into her arms and headed back to the house.

'Gotta admit, she looked like a babe though for a leech,' Embry chuckled through the pack link.

'Seriously dude?' Jacob replied in annoyance.

'Come on! She was drop dead gorgeous! Though her meals probably do drop dead,' Embry teased, knowing he was winding Jacob up.

Jacob sighed in defeat and chose to let Embry win this round.

* * *

_One of the many benefits of the castle being so big was that it seemed to have everything! Not just one industrial size kitchen but three industrial size kitchens. It didn't make much sense considering none of the vampires could eat and there was a very limited number of human staff on hand. However, as I could bake to my heart's content, I was not complaining. Making myself bake at a human pace had been critical to the development of my vampire skills. When I first started baking, I had grossly underestimated my strength and just about destroyed every piece of cookware and equipment. It had quickly forced me to learn how much strength I needed to use to grasp items and use them without breaking them. Particularly extremely delicate items such as eggs. My gosh I must have gone through hundreds of eggs before I finally figured out how much strength to use. I was halfway through separating several egg whites and egg yolks into different bowls when I sensed Marcus approaching._

" _Hello i kardiá mou," he greeted as he entered the kitchen._

_His eyes trailed over the various mixing bowls and dirty dishes surrounding me, "You're cooking quite a bit"._

" _When the new receptionist Luna delivered the food to the local church, the priest mentioned they were holding a feast this coming weekend and wanted to know whether we could donate any additional food. They are attempting to gather all the homeless and low-income earners both in the city and in the countryside to celebrate a feast together to boost their spirits," I explained as I continued to separate the eggs._

_Marcus hummed as he approached me and lent against the kitchen bench, "And Luna informed this to you directly?"._

_I nodded. I placed the discarded eggshell down before picking up another egg and cracking it, "Don't worry Marcus. I informed dear Luna of the way these issues were handled and that in future she should report it to either Demetri or Felix, probably Felix since he is such a flirt, and that the message would be given to me. Don't kill this one. I actually like her"._

" _I'll keep that in mind," Marcus replied, "What are you making?"._

" _Tiramisu," I chirped, "I've just about finished this section if you want to help?"._

_Marcus smiled at me, "I am happy to watch you Charlotte"._

" _Lottie. That's what my family and friends use to call me. As a vampire, that right is only reserved for my mates," I smiled at Marcus before I discarded the broken eggshells and plugged in the KitchenAid. I had wanted a KitchenAid for years but the price prevented me from ever getting one. It was the only piece of equipment that I refused to touch until I had my strength under control. My inner chef died inside at the thought of damaging it._

" _Lottie," Marcus repeated, "A nickname I will only ever use in your or my brothers' presence". I poured the egg yolks and required amount of sugar into the KitchenAid before setting it to the appropriate speed._

" _That's exactly what Aro and Caius said as well. They would only ever use Lottie if it was just us, their nicknames within the coven and Charlotte on formal occasions when dealing with other vampires. Marcus…only if you're comfortable of course," I began, "What was Didyme like? I know she meant a lot too you". Marcus didn't reply. Didyme was a topic that Marcus had yet to fully disclose to me. During our time together, he had mentioned that she was his deceased wife, Aro's sister and how her loss severely impacted him. It was that profound loss that made him truly understand what I was going through with the loss of my family and he had helped me through the time. I stopped the KitchenAid._

_I opened a container of mascarpone and scooped the substance out into the KitchenAid, "I don't ask this to hurt you. As you said to me when I first became a vampire, talking about the happy times with my loved ones would ease the burden and you were right. While it hurt at first and even still hurts now, it's not as difficult as it once was"._

_I added the vanilla extract and turned the KitchenAid back on, "I know how hard it is so you don't-"._

" _She was so kind and beautiful. She had the special ability of happiness induction which made everyone who met her fall in love with her," Marcus interrupted me, "While I knew we were not mates, our bond was as close to a mate bond as possible. When she died…I was devastated. Knowing that I had yet to find my mate was the only thing that kept me going. I couldn't bear the thought of putting my mate through the loss of their mate. The pain I felt was unbearable and I refused to let anyone else suffer what I was going through". I switched the KitchenAid off and approached Marcus. I wrapped my arms around him in support and I felt him pull me tighter into an embrace._

" _Despite being a vampire, she had absolutely no grace at all. During one of our very first dates, she somehow managed to fall into the lake. She laughed at herself. She couldn't care less if others thought she was clumsy. That's why I fell in love with her. She was vibrant, unapologetic and genuine," Marcus continued, "We didn't care about ruling or the coven, as long as we had each other we were happy"._

_I squeezed Marcus tighter in comfort, "Can I ask what happened?"._

" _She was murdered by an enemy coven. Shortly after Aro gave his blessing for myself and Didyme to leave, an enemy coven had attacked us and slaughtered her. Aro arrived for their scheduled meal together and came across her slain body," Marcus' voice was heavy with grief, "I can't imagine how hard it was for Aro to discover his murdered sister. We were never able to find the vampire or vampires who did it but because of Didyme's power that resulted in vampires falling in love with her, it was suspected that a love-struck vampire killed her once she rejected them. It haunts me and I can only imagine how much it haunts Aro". Marcus started shaking slightly. It was impossible for vampires to cry tears but if it were, Marcus would be doing it now. We stood there, wrapped in each other's arms for hours. Eventually he's shaking stopped._

" _To fos mou (my light)," I whispered, "That's my nickname for you Marcus, to fos mou (my light). Despite your pain and heartache, you took the burden of my sorrows and acted as my light in my darkest time"._

" _My light in Greek. Do you know why I call you i kardiá mou? The knowledge that one day I would find you kept my shattered heart going. You are literally i kardiá mou," Marcus lifted my chin with his hand and pressed his lips against mine. The kiss was soft and gentle but yet filled with so many emotions at the same time._

_Marcus was first to pull away and stared lovingly into my eyes, "What is the next step in this tiramisu making?"._

* * *

'Jacob…he…he just turned into a fucking wolf…a giant disgusting smelling wolf,' I thought to myself in shock as I watched my former friend transform into a large copper coloured wolf. When I entered the clearing, I was surprised to say the least when I saw Jacob and a young brunette-haired child. My surprise quickly changed to shock when I saw him TURN INTO A GIANT FUCKING WOLF!

'My gosh he stinks,' I thought as I did my best to keep my facial expressions under control. The young child quickly created distance between myself and her and hid behind the wolf…who was once human.

"Woah!" I quickly put my hands up in the universal surrender way, "I mean no harm! I'm sorry for startling you". The child popped her head out from behind Jacob's, if that wolf is even still considered Jacob, and it allowed me to have a better look at her. She was beautiful with high cheekbones, full lips and her eyes were chocolate brown, reminding me so much of my twin. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this child was a mixture of Edward and Bella.

"Are you another vampire here to help my family?" she asked in curiosity.

I smiled at her innocent, child like nature, "I am". The child smiled at me and walked around Jacob. Jacob growled in warning but the child didn't seem to mind as she headed towards me. She stopped several metres away and held out her hand.

I became lost in my thoughts as I was once again reminded about how similar she looked to my sister. When she smiles, it was like looking at a younger version of myself. Suddenly, a light grey wolf and a dark brown wolf burst into the clearing. While they weren't as big as Jacob, they were still pretty damn big. Caius' training instantly kicked in and I crouched down into a defensive position. I hadn't even heard them coming! I was so focused on the child in front of me that I didn't pay attention to my surroundings.

I cringed inwardly, 'Caius would have my head if he knew how careless I just was'. Determined not to be caught off guard again, I re-focused myself. The child turned to the two incoming wolves.

"Embry, Jared," she scowled them before she looked back towards me, "I'm sorry about them. I need you to hold my hand to see my proof".

My mind short circuited.

'…are you fucking serious? Embry's a wolf as well! What the fuck happened since I've been gone?' I thought in disbelief. I had to push that shock away because I had to deal with the situation on my hands first. My power was currently keeping my scent hidden away and undetected by the Cullen's but it meant I wouldn't see whatever it was that the child wanted to show me. If I dropped my power, I could see what she wanted to show me but it would alert the Cullen's.

'It's a risk I'll have to take,' I thought to myself, 'My newborn speed gives me the upper hand because I'll leave long before they can get here. My mates need this information. Lower my power, see whatever it is that the child wants, raise my power and then run like a bat out of hell'. Once I was confident with my plan, I held out my hand. I needed to be ready to flee as soon as I could. The child approached me and just before our hands touched, I lowered my power.

'20 seconds tops before I need to get out of here,' I thought to myself as I could sense two vampires approach. As the child's hand placed in mine, I watched in amazement as images filled my head. Bella being pregnant as a human and her birth from a human mother with her father being a vampire. The child pulled her hand away.

'15 seconds,' I thought to myself, 'Maybe even less. One is moving fast…fuck, Bella would be a newborn too. How the hell did I not consider that!'.

"Will you help my family?" the child, whose name I discovered to be Renesmee, asked. Certainly not the name I would have called my child but that's a different story.

I smiled reassuringly at her, "I promise I will pass this onto my mate". I quickly raised my shield and bolted from the scene as fast as I could as I suspected Bella was moments away. Only a newborn could move that fast and since Renesmee had all but confirmed she was Bella's child, it was definitely Bella.

'That was cutting it close,' I thought as I ran towards Seattle, 'Let's leave the awkward family reunion for another time'. I arrived at the private jet and quickly climbed on board. Abrax and Ahura were casually lounging around but quickly snapped to attention when they saw me enter.

"Andiamo ( _Let's go_ )," I ordered.

"Inteso ( _Understood_ )," Abrax replied and dashed into the cockpit. I took a seat on the expensive leather lounge and let out a sigh of relief at the success of the mission. I tore the wig off and removed the sunglasses as I relaxed into the comfortable lounge. It was only then that I felt my phone buzz.

'Oh bugger,' I thought, 'I completely forgot to check in with my mates'. I hesitantly pulled my phone out and dreaded checking it.

_21 text messages_

_10 missed calls_

I quickly sent them a message apologising for the lack of communication but noted that my mission was a success.

_We'll talk when you return._

I cringed at the blunt reply from Caius. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was mad.

"Hai avuto successo ( _Were you successful_ )?" Ahura asked.

I sent another text apologising to my mates before I looked at the child-like vampire, "Sì".

* * *

**Hello everyone!**

**Thank you as always for your continued support and your well wishes! I am slowly but surely on the way to recovery and hope for an update at least once a week (or there around) once I'm back to full health!**

**I apologise in advanced if the translation are not quite correct. I used Google translator so I already expect there to be errors. Anyway, I hoped this chapter lived up to expectations. I can assure you that the Cullen's will eventually find out about Lottie and the reveal is going to be so, so worth the build up! My aim for this chapter was to show how Lottie made each leader better. Aro's ruthless ambition, Caius' hard shell and Marcus' heartache were the key areas I wanted to focus on this time.**

**I completely forgot to mention last time as well about the release date of Midnight Sun! I am so excited for the novel and I can't wait to see the next instalment of the Twilight Saga!**

**Thank you once again for your continued support!**

**Stay safe xxx**


	8. Chapter 8

"It's been longer than 15 minutes and she's not responded," Caius paced the library, "Something's happened. We were foolish to let her go alone". Marcus and Aro chose wisely not to respond. Their brother had been highly strung ever since their mate had travelled to Forks and every hour she was away from the safety of the coven, Caius had grown more and more restless. His already short temper was fast wearing thin. Marcus and Aro watched as Caius dialled their mate's number once again.

No answer.

Caius roared in frustration and threw the phone against the wall. The mobile exploded into several pieces when it made contact with the wall.

"FELIX!" Caius bellowed. Felix suddenly appeared in the room and quickly placed another mobile on the table before he scattered from sight. Marcus, foreseeing that Caius' short temper could be an issue, had alerted their trusted guard Felix to have a stack of mobiles on standby. While Felix was honoured by this level of trust, a small part of him also feared this responsibility. Caius was temperamental at the best of times and with the absence of his mate, no one was safe from his anger. Something Felix was very determined not to be on the receiving end of. Whenever his name was called, he would enter and leave as fast as possible to avoid any of Caius' anger falling onto him.

Caius dialled her number again.

No answer.

"Fuck!" Caius swore and crushed the phone in his hand, "What the fuck is she doing?". The shattered phone pieces fell to the ground.

"FELIX!" Caius bellowed once more.

'For the love of blood! Please bloody answer Charlotte,' Felix thought to himself as he quickly entered, placed a new phone down and bolted from the library. This process continued several more times with Caius calling or texting their mate but still no reply. Marcus' mobile suddenly pinged. Caius' attention whipped towards his brother. Marcus calmly pulled his mobile out and read the text message.

"Lottie apologises for the lack of communication but the mission was a success. She's on her way home," Marcus said.

"How wonderful!" Aro beamed, "See Caius? There was no need to worry at all. You must have more faith brother".

Caius scoffed at Marcus and quickly texted Lottie about the talk they were going to have when she returned, "Of course she would text you. She knew you would let her off easily".

"Or she knew that whatever she said to you would be met by fury," Marcus replied swiftly.

Caius sneered at Marcus but didn't deny his accusation.

* * *

_I smiled softly at Aro and swirled my glass of blood, "What was your favourite decade?"._

_Aro hummed as he thought of the answer to my question, "Not so much a decade but the Renaissance period was a favourite of mine. The years 1500 to 1530 particularly as it was during this time where the works of Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael were crafted. I have never seen such a period of creation and growth for humanity and I have yet to see it again"._

" _Did you ever meet them?" I asked in curiosity._

" _I believe it's my turn," Aro teased, "What did you want to do after you graduated high school?"._

_I took a sip of the blood in the wine glass, "I wanted to be a pastry chef. I had dreams of working in the world's best dessert restaurants before returning to America and opening my own bakery. Before I became a vampire, I found out that I had been accepted into America's most elite culinary school"._

" _A pastry chef?" Aro mused over this information, "Considering how much you have been baking currently, that should really come at no surprise"._

_Aro and I continued our game of twenty questions and I knew I had to ask the burning question on my mind. Ever since my chat with Marcus yesterday about Didyme, a horrible thought had occurred to me._

_Did Aro have something to do with his sister's death?_

_I knew Aro was unhealthierly motivated by power and I was doing my best to loosen his power lust. It was only after reflecting on what Marcus had told me that a disturbing picture was easily crafted in my mind. Marcus had a unique power, the Volturi was still fully forming, Aro had granted the two permission to leave and suddenly Didyme was murdered and the killers were never brought to justice? Especially with Aro's mind reading power? Dread filled my being as part of me was becoming more convinced that Aro might have had something to do with his sister's death._

' _It's now or never,' I thought._

" _What happened to your sister?" I asked quietly, "Marcus said she was murdered by an enemy coven and the killers were never bought to justice"._

_Aro's face filled with sadness, "It is true my little swan. My dear sister was murdered by an unknown enemy and despite the coven's best efforts, we never found the vampire or vampires who committed such a horrible act"._

' _He's a brilliant actor I'll give him that,' I thought._

" _Even with your power to read minds? You never came across anyone?" I asked carefully. Aro stared at me. His gaze unblinking. His red eyes burned into mine. If I wasn't his mate, I had no doubt I would have been killed for my question._

" _She was murdered by an enemy and despite our best efforts, her murder or murderers were never caught," he repeated, his gaze never leaving mine. I didn't immediately respond as I knew I had to trend very carefully about my next question._

_I nervously licked my lips, a human trait of mine that I had yet to completely rid myself of, "Was this enemy her own brother?". I struggled to register what happened next. I suddenly found myself slammed against the wall with Aro's hand wrapped tightly around my throat. His speed so quick that it reminded me of a newborn vampire. Despite my inner beast wanting to lash out and defend myself, I forced myself to remain calm. Clinging to the hope that as his mate, Aro would not hurt me._

" _Careful with your accusations Charlotte," Aro whispered softly. It was so quiet that it made me second guess whether I had truly heard it. Aro's red eyes continued to drill into my own but I refused to back down. I was no stranger to Aro's obsession with power but it was only now that I could truly see how much he was influenced by it. I could practically see his inner beast coming to life behind his eyes and for a split second, I began to doubt whether I was indeed safe from Aro's wrath – to him, I was a threat to the power he had spent centuries building. One word to Marcus and everything would be destroyed. Whether Marcus had thought Aro was involved in Didyme's death was besides the point. Marcus had already spent years with the Volturi. If I shared my theory with Marcus, it would re-open old wounds and I have no doubt that no matter how much it would hurt me, Marcus would demand justice and as such, Aro's death._

" _Aro," I rasped out, his tight grip around my neck made it hard to speak, "Be honest with me. What we say will be kept amongst us"._

_My mate didn't say anything nor did he loosen his grip. His red eyes pierced mine. I closed my eyes and lowered my shield, giving him access to my thoughts. I was doing everything I could to prove to him that I would not betray his trust in me but I knew he had something to do with his sister's demise. I could never truly be his mate unless I knew all the skeletons in his closet._

" _Mio salvatore," I begged once more._

_It felt like hours had passed before he spoke._

" _I didn't want to but Marcus' power was too valuable to the coven. The coven was still so new and his power was invaluable against the enemies we were to face," Aro confessed quietly, "He and Didyme wanted to be free of the coven…without Didyme, Marcus would have no reason to leave"._

_I dared not interrupt. Aro seemed to be in almost a trance like state and I feared any questions would break him from whatever state of mind he was in._

" _It was so easy," He stated, "Didyme had no idea. I slaughtered her and she never saw it coming. Staging the scene to make it look like an intruder and convincing Marcus it was an enemy was even easier. You have to understand Charlotte, I did it for the sake of the coven. To keep the coven strong". His grip around my throat started to loosen._

_I slowly bought my hands up and cupped Aro's face, "My role as your mate is not to judge you Aro. However, this blind obsession you have with power must stop…don't make me fear being with you"._

_My words seemed to snap him out of his trance, "I would never hurt you my little swan"._

" _And yet your hand is wrapped around my throat," I shot back. Aro ripped his hand away from my throat as if he had been burned and stepped out of my hold. He looked down at his hand in horror at what he had done._

" _Aro," I began as he looked at me, "From now on, any decisions that are made in relation to the coven must be decided upon by all of us. You, myself, Marcus and Caius. We will act as the voice of reason and further strengthen the coven without making decisions of madness. I refuse to let you become your own worst enemy and let everything you sacrificed to get here go to waste"._

_Aro studied me, "You really won't tell Marcus will you?". He wanted to confirm my earlier thoughts that I would not share whatever he told me with the others. I raised my shields once more._

" _And what good would that do? Marcus has already accepted that he will never know who killed Didyme. He even suspects that you may have already dealt with her murderer but refused to tell him as he thinks you have broken laws to do so. Telling him, as hard as it will be to keep this a secret, would destroy us and everything," I explained. Aro stepped towards me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me tight to his chest. I wrapped my arms around him and returned his embrace._

_He rested his head on my shoulder, "You are too good for me Lottie". This would be the dirty secret that Aro and I shared. I would never tell Caius or Marcus. This piece of information would be something I would take to my grave. While Marcus did deserve to know the truth, this information would rip him apart and I fear cause damage beyond repair between my mates. It was incredibly selfish what I was doing but to keep us strong, I was being exactly like Aro. Keep the secret in order to get my way of living happily with my mates._

" _But Aro," I began before I roughly pulled myself from his hug and slammed him against the very wall I had been slammed against with my hand wrapped around his throat, "If you ever lay a hand on me again, it will be the last thing you ever do". I squeezed his throat and watched as cracks started to appear, re-enforcing the fact that I was not kidding. Aro didn't put up a fight, I could see the regret in his eyes. I withdrew my hand and Aro once again wrapped his arms around me._

_His lips crashed against mine before he pulled away and rested his forehead against mine, "I am so sorry Lottie. I can assure you this will never happen again. I love you my little swan"._

" _I love you too mio salvatore," I kissed him softly._

_When Aro and I caught up with Caius and Marcus later that evening, the two would have never guessed what just transpired between myself and Aro. We acted as we always did and no one would have guessed that I had just discovered a secret that would have destroyed everything. It was in that moment that I truly understood why Aro and I were mates. While everything he had previously done was for the sake of the coven and for him to maintain power, everything I did was for the sake of my mates and for me to maintain my relationships with them._

_Aro killed his sister to maintain power, I hid his secret to maintain peace._

* * *

To say it had been a couple of hard months for Charlie was an understatement. Especially with Christmas being a matter of days away, Charlie was becoming more and more aware of the emptiness in his heart. He stood in the doorway to the kitchen and just stared at the tidy space. Unlike Bella, Lottie always came to visit for Christmas. While it drove her mother mad, Lottie refused to let him spend Christmas alone. Even when he was sometimes out on patrol a majority of the day, she would have a feast ready for him when he returned. This Christmas was going to be very different. It had only been in the last few days that Charlie had started to really feel the impact of the loss of Lottie. He had been spending every free moment with Renesmee and Bella. That recently had to stop though. He knew there was something strange about his daughter and granddaughter but chose to ignore it. After all, it wasn't too long ago that the kid he knew since he was in diapers suddenly turned into a BIG dog. If Charlie was being completely honest, he really didn't want to know what was really going on. Bella had said that it wasn't safe for him to visit them but she and the family would be there for Christmas.

"Charlie?" Sue wrapped her arms around him, "Is everything okay?". Charlie grunted softly in reply.

Sue chuckled, "Was that grunt a yes or a no? I haven't worked out how to speak Charlie yet".

The home phone started ringing.

"I'll get it," Sue said before she pressed a kiss to Charlie's cheek. She released him from her hug and wondered down the hallway to answer the phone. Charlie tuned out the conversation as he once again became lost in his thoughts over Lottie's absence.

'The kitchen is way too clean', he thought, 'Lottie always left a mess even when she wasn't cooking'.

"Charlie," Sue called out from the hallway, "I think you should take this". Charlie was shaken from his thoughts and quickly pulled himself together before he walked into the hallway to Sue.

"It's someone calling about Lottie," she whispered to him as she passed him the phone.

Charlie nodded in thanks and took the phone from her, "This is Charlie Swan".

"Hello Mr Swan," a bubbly voice chirped from the other end, "This is Rowena MacLeod calling from Crowley's American Kitchen Elite School. I was hoping to speak to Miss Charlotte Swan. She received an offer to attend our school and we haven't heard a reply from her. The selection board were very impressed with her cooking abilities and we would be honoured to have such a wonderful talent attend. We tried contacting her mobile but couldn't get a hold of her. She had this number as an alternative contact".

Charlie swore he stopped breathing as his heart sunk when he heard the news. Crowley's American Kitchen Elite School or the more ridiculous name of CAKE it was known by was the culinary school Lottie had her heart on attending. He knew she was devastated after being rejected twice but somehow, she would always seem more determined to bake better in order to be accepted. His kid had done it, she had finally been accepted into the school of her dreams.

'I didn't even know she had applied,' he thought guiltily.

"Um," Charlie cleared his throat as his eyes started to burn with unshed tears, "Unfortunately my daughter passed away in a car accident a few months ago".

"I'm so sorry!" the lady on the phone panicked, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for your loss!".

"It's okay," Charlie assured the lady, "You didn't know". Sue hugged him from behind in support as she overheard the conversation.

"Still Mr Swan, my sincerest apologies for your loss," the lady once again said. They spoke for a few more minutes before Charlie hung the phone up.

"I'm so sorry Charlie," Sue whispered after the conversation ended.

Charlie wrapped his arms around her, "Lottie had been trying to get into that cooking school for ages. I'm so bloody proud of her. I just wish she was here to actually go and live out her dream. It's not fair".

"I know," Sue squeezed him tightly as she comforted him, "It's not fair at all. She was a beautiful soul that was taken far too soon".

"I just miss her so much," Charlie whispered as tears finally started to fall from his eyes, "We spent every Christmas together. She refused to let me spend it by myself despite how many times I told her I was fine and how mad it made her mum. I once worked all Christmas and when I came home in the early hours of boxing day morning, she had stayed awake and had a massive feast ready to go".

"Oh Charlie," Sue didn't know what to say to comfort him. While losing her husband had been horrible, Sue couldn't even begin to imagine her life without her children.

"Even when she wasn't cooking, the kitchen was an absolute mess. You would think that by being a baker she would have taken pride in having a clean kitchen. Not Lottie. It was always a mess. I always use to joke that after Christmas, I would clean the kitchen and it would remain untouched until she came back next time," Charlie cleared his throat and wiped the tears away, "Christmas this year is definitely not going to be the same".

* * *

**Hello everyone!**

**Thank you as always for your support! It honestly means the world to me and I can't thank you enough!**

**This chapter is certainly much shorter than my previous chapters but it's laying the foundation for what happens next…that and I also love Charlie. Particularly with Christmas happening soon in the timeline, I thought it would be a unique opportunity to tie up the cooking school part that was mentioned earlier in the story.**

**Just a quick update for yourselves as well, you can except an update every 7 to 10 days. With the COVID restrictions starting to ease, my workload has started to increase. As such, I don't have as much time as I would like to write so the updates will take a fraction longer.**

**Once again, thank you for your support!**

**Stay safe xxx**


	9. Chapter 9

Landing back in Volterra was a very strange experience. Just like being back in Forks, it felt like home. I was excited to see my mates again…though a little fearful of the tantrum Caius was going to throw. Even if it was completely understandable. The one requirement he had was that I keep in contact every 15 minutes and I hadn't done so.

'Granted though,' I thought, 'It would have been a bit difficult to tell Renesmee and Jacob to wait a moment while I sent a text'. Abrax and Ahura bowed as I exited the plane. I smiled when I saw Chelsea and Afton standing underneath umbrellas to shield them from the sunlight as they waited beside a black car that was parked on the tarmac.

"Chelsea! Afton!" I greeted happily, "It's certainly been a while".

Chelsea smiled cheekily, "A long time indeed, almost 20 hours without seeing you! How did we ever survive?". Chelsea and Afton were the two newest guards I had been introduced too. I had learned from Aro that Chelsea was a highly valued guard amongst the coven due to her ability to influence the emotional ties between individuals. Chelsea was a gorgeous African American woman who had been turned in her mid-thirties. Her ebony coloured hair was styled in an afro blow out, her eyes were bright red from a recent feed and she wore the traditional guard cape. While Chelsea was more outgoing, Afton was very quiet. I don't think I've ever heard him say anything ever since I met him. He was an African American man who was probably turned in his late thirties and had short black clipper cut hair. Like Chelsea, his eyes were bright red and he wore the traditional guard cape.

"I'm glad to see you made it through this difficult time," I teased back as I got into the car. Chelsea joined me in the back while Afton jumped into the driver's seat and began the short drive to the coven. Chelsea and I conversed quietly during the drive and I had to particularly restraint myself from leaping out of the car to see my mates. I could get back to the castle much quicker than any car could. Once the car had finally arrived at the coven, I eagerly jumped out of the car and quickly made my way to the library where I knew my mates would be. It was obviously very amusing to Chelsea as I heard her laughter. I smiled at Alec and Jane who was guarding outside and pushed the doors opened before I entered.

"What part of contact us every 15 minutes do you not understand?" Caius demanded as soon as I entered.

I literally flung myself into Caius' arms as I buried my head into his chest and hugged him tightly, "I missed you so much". I looked up and kissed his lips several times.

"This-"

_Kiss_

"does-"

_Kiss_

"not-"

_Kiss_

"excuse-"

K _iss_

"your-"

K _iss_

"lack-"

K _iss_

"of-"

K _iss_

"communication," Caius finally managed to say amongst my shower of kisses.

"I completely understand and sincerely apologise ma force," I smiled against his lips before I kissed him one last time. I pulled myself away from Caius and pounced into Aro's open arms. Aro kissed me like a vampire starved of blood and I returned his passion with just as much force.

He eventually though somewhat reluctantly pulled away and rested his forehead against mine, "Welcome back Lottie".

"I'm so happy to be back in your arms mio salvatore," I replied, my heart filled to the brim with happiness. I had been away from my mates for less then a day and my heart ached over the distance between us. I wormed out of Aro's arms and turned to face my third mate. Like Aro, Marcus opened his arms and I happily stepped into his embrace. Despite it just being us, Marcus was much more reserved with his affection. He kept his arms locked tight around my waist and the kiss we shared was soft and full of love. It was the perfect balance between the storm that was Caius and the domination that was Aro.

"You mentioned that the mission was a success?" Aro began as he held his hand out, "Show me my little swan". I went to approach Aro but Marcus' arms remained locked around my waist, an indication that he was not letting me go anytime soon. Aro chuckled at my imprisonment and approached me. I placed my hand in his and lowered my shield so Aro could see what Renesmee had shown me. My mates and I watched quietly as Aro processed the information.

"My oh my," Aro eventually said, "That is certainly interesting. It appears that the immortal child that Irina reported is indeed not an immortal child but the product of a human mother and a vampire father".

Caius studied Aro for several moments in silence, "Are you absolutely sure? I have never heard of a hybrid child before".

Aro hummed, "As hard as it is my dear brother, the child is indeed only half vampire".

"That means Irina lied and she should be punished for her crimes as a result," Caius reasoned.

"While there is a law that states false witnesses, regardless of intent, is punishable by death, a hybrid vampire is particularly unknown," I argued, "I had to convince you that they even existed".

Marcus hummed, "While I enjoy having you in my arms i kardiá mou, perhaps we should take a seat as this could be a long discussion". I nodded in agreement and my heart clenched in sorrow at the loss of contact with my mate. My mates and I retreated to the sitting area in the library and we all took out seats. I reached over with my left hand and wrapped it around Caius' while my right hand wrapped around Marcus'. I was surprised by my clinginess. While I enjoyed the physical contact my mates, I was never normally this affectionate. My inner beast though was very pleased with the skin to skin contact of two of my mates.

"It will get easier," Marcus' words broke me out of my thoughts, "It's your first time away from us. Your vampire needs to re-establish contact. As you mature, the need for constant contact won't be as great".

"Unless of course you still want the constant contact," Caius teased, "And then rest assured vasílissa mou, we would be more then happy to oblige".

"Moving on," Aro said, I had the slight feeling he was jealous that I wasn't holding his hand but I only hand two hands and he was too far away, "Irina's punishment".

I quickly piped in, "I understand she broke the rule of false accusations but the circumstances are unique. We want to encourage vampires to report situations to the Volturi. If they fear they may be killed if it's false, they may not say anything at all and this could cause even greater problems".

Caius frowned, "But to let her go without any consequences shows that the Volturi are weak".

"Or it shows that we are merciful and reasonable," I countered.

"What is your opinion on this Marcus?" Aro asked our silent mate.

Marcus slowly turned to look at Aro, "The journal Lottie and I came across notes the existence of a hybrid long before this situation and yet we had never heard about their existence until now. From a physical aspect, it is impossible for a vampire to impregnant a female human. While Irina did break the law, we were unaware of the possibility of hybrids existing ourselves".

I frowned and nodded in agreement, "Does it change if the vampire and human are mates? Would it then be possible for a child to be created?".

"It might. It could explain the hybrid from Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen," Marcus said.

"How do we know that the child will not cause issues in the future?" Caius asked, "It may not be an immortal child but it could still pose danger to our existence in the future. Humans cannot know about us and this hybrid is an unknown element".

"I understand your point Caius but what I saw in the memories was the child drinking blood. If she's drinking blood, then I assume she would have the diet of a vampire. It would mean she would only need to adhere to the rules that other vampire follow," I reasoned.

Caius stared at me while Aro and Marcus watched the two of us silently, "I must ask vasílissa mou, you are not feeling conflicted over this situation because this hybrid is your niece?".

I bristled in anger over Caius' question, "Rest assured my dear Caius, I would kill the child if the situation called for it. My loyalty is to you three and nothing, absolutely nothing changes that. If you feel the need to question that, there is a problem with our relationship". I ripped my hands from Caius' and Marcus' grasp and wrapped them around my chest as anger swirled through me.

"I wasn't questioning your loyalty Lottie," Caius quickly tried to explain, "You are still a newborn and your human emotions are still very prominent. I imagine it would be extremely hard for you to find out that your sister has the family she always wanted while your opportunity was ripped away because of her. I wanted to ensure that you weren't influenced by a child that is family. I know how important family is to you and we are incredibly lucky as mates to have someone so passionate about protecting their family". My anger slowly disappeared after Caius' comment.

I sighed and muttered a small apology to Caius, "I'm sorry ma force". Caius reached his hand out and gently took mine, squeezing it slightly to show that he had no hard feelings.

"If the child follows a blood diet and adheres by the laws, then there are no issues," Marcus said, "However if she steps out of line, then she will be killed". We nodded in agreement.

"Now that the matter of Renesmee Cullen is dealt with, we have another issue to discuss," Aro lend back into his seat, "A potential werewolf problem". Caius' attention whipped towards me.

"Vasílissa mou," Caius gritted out in annoyance and his hand squeezed tighter around mine, "You failed to mention anything about a wolf problem".

"In my defence," I began to justify, "I didn't even know werewolves existed. Jake was my friend, well, former friend and when I last saw him, he definitely wasn't changing into a giant wolf".

"Former friend?" Marcus cut off whatever Caius was about to say.

I nodded my head, "Remember how I mentioned that my friends and I had a falling out just before I became a vampire? He was one of them".

"And he was only ever a friend?" Caius asked.

I raised my eyebrow at my mate, "Are you jealous Caius?".

Caius scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous. I want to make sure that there's no conflict of interest". I studied my mate silently for a few moments before I removed my hand from his, stood up and strolled over to him. I stood behind his chair and managed to weave my arms around the chair and wrap them around his neck. My inner animal purred in approval at my actions.

"Rest assured Caius…ma force," Caius shivered, in what I could only guess at delight without boosting my ego, at my words, "You are the strongest vampire I know and your place in my heart will never, ever change". A low growl of approval emitted from Caius' chest and I suddenly found myself in Caius' lap with his arms wrapped around my body, preventing me (not that I was going to) from leaving.

Aro cleared his throat, "Now that Caius' ego has been stroked, shall we return to the matter at hand?".

Caius chuckled darkly at Aro, "You're just jealous that our pretty little mate is in my arms not yours".

"As Aro was saying," I quickly interrupted to stop the argument that was about to start between two of my mates, "The potential threat of the Children of the Moon".

"Based on what you showed me, your friend appears to be able to turn into one," Aro stated, "While I'm not entirely sure they are werewolves, he appears very similar to one".

Marcus looked at Aro in confusion, "Not entirely sure?".

Aro nodded, "He seems to be able to control his phasing unlike the Children of the Moon and he has pack mates".

Caius hummed as he took in this information, "I've not heard of a werewolf being able to control their phasing and typically speaking, werewolves are lone creatures. They do not travel in packs".

"If they're not werewolves, what would they be? What else exists out there?" I asked in confusion. I was slowly starting to discover that vampires weren't the only supernatural creature that existed among us.

"Without seeing them myself little swan, I am unsure," Caius, our resident werewolf expert, said. The four of us sat in silence as we plotted our next course of action.

"We'll still need to go to Forks," I concluded. Aro stood up and quickly approached myself and Caius.

Aro started to run his hand lightly through my hair, "We do my little swan. If your former friends are indeed werewolves…".

I removed myself from Caius' lap and wrapped my arms around Aro, "I know mio salvatore. My loyalty is to you and our mates. It…It will hurt but that's our…that's my responsibility as your mate". Aro must have sensed my inner distress at the thought that I may have to kill my former friends as he somehow managed to hold me even closer.

"Your strength continues to amaze us my little swan. We are so lucky to have you as our mate".

* * *

"Why must you do this again?" Caius said in a grumpy voice.

I quickly hushed him, "Oh relax ma force". It was Christmas eve and my mate and I were making our way to the local church in Volterra. I had cooked for the church several times over the last few months and wanted to deliver the food myself this time. Caius wasn't happy with the fact I would be leaving the castle to take the food myself and since I wasn't going to change my mind, he reluctantly agreed to accompany me. After the success that Marcus and I had in making tiramisu and the feedback from the church about how well the dessert was received, I decided to make another batch for the church's Christmas Day feast. I had even managed to get all my mates help me make the tiramisu that Caius was currently carrying bags of.

"How do you know we won't burn when we enter the church?" Caius mused darkly. I restricted the urge to roll my eyes.

'And I thought Aro was meant to be the over-dramatic one out of all of us,' I thought. We stood in front of the Volterra Cathedral and being my first time there, I was taken away by the beauty of the stone church. It was early evening and the sun had long since set so we did not need to fear the sunlight. I had recently fed so my blood lust was under control and Caius and I wore contact lenses to hide our red eyes.

I walked up to the wood door and gently pushed it open, "Father Accardi?".

"Ah Signora Volturi! Piacere di conoscerti finalmente ( _Nice to finally meet you_ )!" an elderly priest chirped as he quickly approached myself and Caius, "Ti ho sentito parlare inglese. Ti dispiace se pratico il mio inglese con te ( _I heard you speak English. Do you mind if I practice my English with you_ )?". I was taken aback by his appearance. Father Accardi was a man in his seventies who had no hair and his fragile body was hidden by his priest robes. What concerned me though was the massive black eye and the dark bruises that covered the poor Father's face.

I smiled at the elderly priest and responded in English, "Of course Father".

"Very beautiful you are," the priest said as he shook my hand. My advanced eyesight spied even more bruises on his fragile hand.

I looked at Father Accardi in concerned, "Are you okay Father?".

"Ah," Father Accardi waved off my concern and continued in broken English, "Very kind you are. Some trouble with local gang. I good". I frowned and filed that knowledge away for later.

"Father Accardi, this is my husband Caius," I introduced my mate. Caius nodded in acknowledgment but refused to shake the human's hand. Father Accardi did not look fazed by Caius' standoffish behaviour and smiled brightly at him.

"I brought him along to be the muscle," I chuckled as I indicated to the several bags Caius was holding that contained containers and containers of tiramisu.

"Strong man," Father Accardi patted Caius' forearm and waved us to follow him, "Come". We followed the elderly man and he led us through the cathedral to the back section where there was a large fridge. The Father went to the take the bags from Caius before I quickly stopped him.

"Please Father. My husband can put the tiramisu away for you," I assured him and looked at Caius. My mate didn't look too impressed with me but did what I asked and started to put the containers of tiramisu in the fridge at a human pace.

Father Accardi looked very grateful for Caius' actions, "Thank you. Very kind. Both very kind". Father Accardi and I chatted for a few more minutes while Caius unloaded the food. Once Caius was done, I decided to take pity on my mate and announced we had to be off. While Caius' expression didn't change, it was evident he was relieved that we were returning home. The priest walked us to the exit and thanked us profusely for our kindness.

"Travel safe home," Father Accardi farewelled in broken English, "Danger at night".

I smiled one final time as I waved to the old priest, "Thank you. Merry Christmas Father". Caius and I left the church and began to walk away when I heard noise from the alleyway beside the cathedral.

"Il vecchio sarà solo. È ora di finirlo ( _The old man will be alone. Time to finish it off_ )," a voice said. I froze and slowly turned to look at the pitch-black alleyway. No human eyes would have been able to see the three men, all in their mid-twenties and dressed in black, but I was no human.

"Vasílissa mou," Caius warned, almost as if he could read my mind, "Don't get involved".

I didn't take my eyes away from the three men and watched as they started creeping to the back entry of the cathedral, "I'm hungry". I disappeared from Caius' side and appeared in front of the three men, preventing them from entering the cathedral. They stumbled back in shock at my sudden appearance and wrapped my hand around one of their throats, preventing him from screaming. Before the other two men could scream, Caius appeared and slammed them by their throats against the church's stone wall.

"Tu chi sei ( _who are you_ )?" I questioned and loosened my grip slightly so the man could speak.

The man was frozen in fear but managed to choke out, "Che cosa siete ( _what are you_ )?".

"Il tuo incubo ( _your nightmare_ )," I hissed at the human, "Hai ferito il prete ( _did you hurt the priest_ )?".

The man somehow managed to look even more terrified at my question, "Il vecchio si era infilato il naso dove non apparteneva ( _The old man was sticking his nose where it did not belong_ )!".

I raised my eyebrow at the human in my grasp, "Oh?".

The man suddenly seemed to get a bout of confidence, "Sai chi siamo? Siamo i serpenti italiani! La mia banda ti ucciderà per questo ( _Do you know who we are? We are the Italian Snakes! My gang will kill you for this_ )!".

I chuckled darkly at the stupid human, "È così ( _is that so_ )?".

* * *

It was the early hours of Christmas Day and the entire Volturi coven had gathered in the throne room. Their leaders had requested their presence and it was unusual as both the elite and lower members had been asked to attend. There was soft whispering amongst the lower ranked guards about what this could be about, particularly as there was now four thrones instead of the usual three. All conversations stopped when the three leaders entered. What surprised the lower ranked guards was the fourth vampire that appeared behind their leaders. The fourth vampire was female and dressed in a deep purple cloak. Her eyes were bright red and her brunette coloured hair was tied back in a ponytail. She had pearl earrings and an air of royalty around her. The three leaders took a seat in their usual throne with the throne between Aro and Caius remaining empty.

"Merry Christmas," the mysterious woman greeted the coven, "My name is Charlotte Swan. I am the mate of Aro, Caius and Marcus and one of the new leaders of the Volturi". The elite guard, having already known of Charlotte's existence, were not shocked by Charlotte's words but the lower guard were extremely surprised. There had been rumours floating around the coven that there was a newborn vampire the leaders had taken interest in but that was it.

"I look forward to getting to know each and everyone of you over the coming few days as well as continuing to lead the Volturi to greatness. To celebrate this wonderful occasion and Christmas, I have a gift for all of you," Charlotte smiled darkly at the coven members, "As a newborn myself, the desire and need to hunt down prey is strong. Scattered throughout the castle are the members of the former upcoming gang the Italian Snakes that were trying to make their place in our dear home of Volterra".

The Queen of Volturi watched in delight as the coven members, both elite and lower rank vampires, started to stir in joy at the prospect of getting to hunt, "Caius and I gathered up the fifty-two gang members who thought it was smart to make home in our city. There are fifty-two gang members running loose in the castle". Charlotte raised her hand and suddenly the scent of terrified humans filled the air. This excited the group of vampires even more.

"Merry Christmas," Charlotte Swan, the Queen of the Volturi, chirped. The coven members scattered as they ran through the castle looking for their food. Charlotte Swan took her seat on the empty throne, her eyes full of delight at the outcome of the events.

"What an entry my little swan," Aro purred at his mate, "Your powers have developed nicely. You were able to successful expand your mirror-like ability around the entire throne room and stopped any human scent from coming into the throne room until you lifted your shield".

Charlotte smiled at her mate, "I learned from the best mio salvatore". Felix emerged from the shadows, easily dragging three human males before the leaders. The three humans looked terrified as they looked at the woman they had encountered only hours before they planned to beat the old man up.

The beautiful demon licked her lips as she stood up and slowly approached the three petrified humans who unlike the night before, were to scared to breath little own speak. She approached them like a spider who had just caught a bug in their web, toying with her prey.

"She definitely learned from the best," Caius said as he watched his mate's terrorisation of the humans.

Even Marcus, who was the least blood thirsty of them all was proud by his mate's control as she taunted the humans in front on her, "And that is why she is ours".

* * *

**Hello everyone!**

**As always, I'm am so incredibly moved by everyone's support and kind words! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I wasn't too happy with how I ended it but it was done to reinforce that Lottie was coming into her own as a Queen and that the entire Volturi coven now knows of her existence.** **I also would like to apologise in advanced for all the Google translated Italian I used in this chapter (practically for those who understand Italian and if Google's translation is wrong). Being in Italy, I really wanted to show how confidence Lottie has become in her home. While more on the filter side, this chapter lays the foundation for the long-awaited confrontation between the Volturi and the Cullen's!**

**I'm starting to make plans for my next story but I have no idea what I want to do. If anyone has any suggestions, please definitely let me know!**

**Thank you once again for your support and stay safe xxx**


	10. Chapter 10

Jacob was the first to admit that he wasn't a fan of leeches. However, he wasn't stubborn enough not to admit when he was impressed by them. Benjamin setting fire to the pile of wood he just dropped was definitely something he considered impressive…even if Benjamin was a leech.

"That's what I'm talking about," Jacob said, his own way of saying thanks without saying thanks. He sat down on the log next to Benjamin and Tia as he looked at the fire. Neither he nor the leeches that surrounded the fire truly needed it but it did certainly set the mood.

"A little pre-battle bonfire. Telling war stories," Jacob looked up from the bonfire to the crowd of unmoving vampires, "Or just standing there like fricking statues". Garrett suddenly appeared and joined the trio sitting by the bonfire.

"Name any American battle. I was there," Garrett bragged.

Jacob chuckled at Garrett's cockiness, "Little Bighorn".

Garrett without hesitation said, "I came this close to biting Custer but the Indians got him first".

Jacob turned his attention away from Garrett back to the bonfire just as Kate appeared and sat on Garrett's lap, "Try Oleg's assault on Constantinople. He didn't win that one on his own".

"If you're talking battles, you're talking the Eleven Years' War," the Irish vampire Liam chipped in, "No one does rebellion like the Irish".

"You lost the Eleven Years' War," Garrett shot back.

"Aye," Liam acknowledged, "But it was one hell of a rebellion". Garrett nodded in agreement and cheekily waved his finger at Liam to confirm that Liam did indeed have a point.

"What about you laddie?" Liam asked Jacob.

Jacob hummed as he looked at Liam, "The closest thing was a fight against an army of newborns a few months ago".

"An army of newborns?" Garrett asked in an impressed tone, "They're bloody hard to kill".

Jacob nodded in agreement, "It definitely was a hard-fought battle that's for sure".

"Did everyone make it back home?" Tia asked in concern, "I've seen firsthand the massive damage one newborn can do little own an army". Jacob looked away from Liam, back into the bonfire.

Kate must have sensed Jacob's hesitation to respond to the question, "Only if you're comfortable. Wounds might not be ready to talk about yet".

"No, it's okay," he began, "I'm not really sure whether it's my place to say. The pack and the Cullen's made it out safely, a few bumps and bruises but…Bella's human sister was kidnapped in the lead up to it…and um…we don't know whether those vampires killed her or if it was the Volturi when they came and did clean up duty".

"Say no more," Tia quickly interrupted him as Jacob struggled for words. Jacob looked at her and nodded his head in thanks.

"Well," Garrett quickly picked up the conversation again, "Let me tell you about the Great Emu War that happened in Australia".

Jacob snorted in disbelief, "Australia had a war that involved a bird?".

"Oh yes. What makes it even better was that they lost to the birds," Garett chuckled. By this stage, most of the vampires had made their way over to the bonfire.

"It made me question how humanity would survive the next few decades," Tanya laughed as she sat down on the log next to Jacob, "Losing to a bunch of flightless birds. However were they going to survive?".

Jacob was still in disbelief over the fact that humanity had lost a battle against a bunch of birds, "I can see why". For the next several hours, war tales were swapped amongst the group. Some stories had them laughing in stitches other created a sober mood and served as a reminder for what was approaching tomorrow.

"When we ruled, everything came to us," Vladimir began, "Prey, diplomats, favour seekers…such was our power but we never put on white hats and called ourselves saints".

Stefan continued from where Vladimir left off, "We were honest about what we were".

"We sat still for a very long time. We didn't notice we were beginning to petrify," Vladimir admitted.

Stefan nodded in agreement with Vladimir's comment, "Perhaps the Volturi did us a favour when they burned our castles".

"We've been waiting 1500 years to return that favour," Vladimir said as rage began to leak into his voice, "We have been ready to do battle for ages".

"But let's hope that tomorrow doesn't turn into a battle," Tanya said trying to be optimistic. While everyone knew a fight was most likely going to happen, tonight was not the night to remind everyone of the potential horrors they were going to face tomorrow.

Vladimir stared at Tanya before he eventually replied, "Of course".

* * *

Edward's gaze wondered across the see of faces among the bonfire, huddled around the fire as the snow fell around them. It reminded him of an occasion in his human life. It was a bitterly cold night in Chicago and he recalled seeing a group of homeless people surrounding a man-made fire pit to try and keep warm. He was young at the time but he remembered his beautiful mother giving them money. He vividly remembered their looks of gratefulness but also of despair. It was only as he grew older and experienced more of the world that he realised the despair was because they knew tomorrow would be the same hard-fought battle to continue living. It was how Edward felt right now. He was beyond grateful for the support offered by so many but despaired over how tomorrow would play out. He could hear his wife and daughter talking softly in a nearby tent which seemed to make him worry even more.

'After finally getting everything I have ever wanted, the Volturi might come and destroy it all tomorrow', Edward cringed at his own thoughts, 'Particularly with what Alice said'. He heard the snow crunch softly behind him.

"You looked concern Edward," Carlisle said as he approached his son, "Rest assured. I have a good feeling about tomorrow". Carlisle placed his hand on Edward's shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

"Alice called me today," Edward confessed quietly, mindful that his wife and child were in a tent nearby and might potentially hear him. The last thing he wanted to do was cause unnecessary stress.

Carlisle frowned in concern, "Is she and Jasper okay?".

Edward nodded in confirmation, "They are both fine. Alice said they found a valuable witness for us. However…she hasn't had any visions of the Volturi recently".

Carlisle smiled in relief, "That's wonderful! Does that mean the Volturi will not be coming then?".

"No," Edward frowned, "Alice is confident they are definitely coming but she thinks that they have somehow managed to shield themselves. She's been having visions increasingly more of herself than others recently".

Carlisle's eyes widened in shock, "The Volturi have acquired a shield like Bella then? It's strange that Alice seems to only be seeing visions of herself though".

"It's really concerning her," Edward confirmed, "She's only been this blind when it comes to dealing with the wolves. Her visions of herself confirm that she comes tomorrow and the Volturi are here".

Carlisle sighed and his gaze drifted away from Edward to Bella and his granddaughter in the tent, "Let's hope it doesn't come to a fight then and we can all walk away in one piece".

* * *

The last few days rushed by. My mates and I were planning on how best to approach this situation. While it was decided that Irina would be spared and would be released once our discussion with the Cullens was over, there was still much to figure out. Alice's future visions were a potential problem. My mates had confessed that their original plan was to confront the Cullen coven on the last day of December as it would allow them time to gather witnesses. With Renesmee Cullen not being an immortal child, I argued against the need for witnesses. If we were heading into a fight with werewolves, the power of the Volturi coven was only what was needed. With the unique abilities that the coven had, the pack of werewolves and the Cullens would not stand a chance if it came down to a battle. It was decided that along with myself and my mates, most of the elite guard and several other coven members would join us. After great debate and planning, it was decided that Jane, Alec, Felix, Demetri, Chelsea, Afton, Santiago and Renata of the elite guard would come. It was decided that Heidi and Corin would protect Volturi while we dealt with the situation. Out of the other seventeen vampires that made up the Volturi coven, we decided that only the seven strongest would attend with us. That meant that between Heidi, Corin and the other ten coven members, our home was protected from our enemies.

My training with Caius had been significantly ramped up and I was being pushed to my limits daily. It was after one training session that I decided to test a theory on how long I could project my mirror around myself and my mates. It started with only being a few minutes but over the hours and hours of consistent training, I was able to project my mirror over my mates near constantly. It made it significantly easier that Aro, Marcus and Caius were my mates. My mirror power seemed to almost naturally expand to cover them, as if it was determined to protect them at all times. I had tried to push myself further and cover the elite guard as well but that I could at best hold for several minutes. While I was gradually starting to be able to withhold it for longer, it was not without great difficulty. I settled on just projecting my mirror power over myself and my mates for the moment. I had gotten so good at it, that I did it subconsciously without even realising I was doing it.

"Renata will stay close to you," Aro said as we ran closer to Forks. I wasn't overly pleased with this but knew it would put my mates at ease. Renata was a gorgeous Maltese woman who was turned in her 20's. She had luminous shoulder length straight black hair and was quite petite in height. She had the ability of an aversion field that protected herself and anyone she touched from the harm of physical attacks. While Renata was able to expand her aversion field several metres to protect others, my mates wanted my protection to be her sole focus. For my safety, it was decided that I would wear the guard clock and remain in the tight knit semi-circle that the elite guards normally formed around the Volturi leaders.

Walking into the clearing was a surreal moment. The tension in the air was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. I remained in tight formation with the other guards, Jane to my left and Renata to my right, who had formed a semi-circle around Aro, Caius and Marcus. Depending on how today unfolded, my presence as the mate of the leaders would either be known or remain hidden from the vampire world for a little while longer. Our group fully entered the clearing and it was due to my advanced eyesight that I saw the small group of vampires opposite us. They had huddled into small groups of two or three when I suddenly heard howling. From the tree line emerged several very large wolves.

'I wonder if Quil is a werewolf as well,' I thought. It was only after surveying the crowd that I noticed Alice and Jasper weren't there.

"I wonder where Alice and Jasper are?" I whispered softly to Jane so only she could hear me. I watched from the corner of my eyes as Jane quickly surveyed the vampires.

Jane hummed, "You're right. Be on guard for a sneak attack". I nodded in understanding. Through my time with the Volturi, I had come to trust Jane's judgment. Her experience in battles was priceless and still being very new to war strategies, I welcomed her guidance and trusted her judgment.

I could immediately see suspicion in the faces of the Cullens' and their witnesses when they saw how few of the Volturi there were. We came to a complete stop a fair distance away as to not spook the other vampires.

I watched as Carlisle walked towards the front of them, "Aro, let's discuss things as we used to. In a civilised manner".

"Fair words Carlisle but a little out of place given the battalion you've assembled against us," Aro responded as his eyes surveyed over the vampires opposing us.

"I can promise you that was never my intent," Carlisle said trying to maintain the peace, "No laws have been broken".

Aro smiled, "Why do you think we are here my good friend Carlisle?".

If Carlisle was nervous he gave nothing away, "The child is not an immortal child".

"Carlisle," Aro said in mock shock, "Is that why you think we are here? The Volturi take our duty of protecting the vampire race very seriously. We have already investigated Irina's claims and confirmed that little Renesmee Cullen is indeed half mortal and half immortal. While extremely rare, not unheard of". If the situation wasn't so serious, I would have laughed at the change in atmosphere. The Cullen's and their vampires went from bosting with confidence to very anxious as they started shifting nervously from foot to foot.

Carlisle quickly composed himself, "Then I must ask my friend, what are you here for?".

Aro tsked, "Dear Carlisle, we heard rumours about you conspiring with the Children of the Moon. As you can appreciate, this causes significant danger to our kind".

"They're shapeshifters," Carlisle quickly responded, "They shape-shift into wolf forms but are not Children of the Moon". Carlisle looked behind him and there was a silent conversation between him and the wolf I knew was Jacob. The wolf nodded and I watched as the wolf transformed into the human boy I once knew. Jacob looked quite bashful as he tried to maintain some dignity while hiding his groin. Jacob, having enough of being embarrassed, quickly transformed back into a wolf.

"How delightful," Caius said sarcastically.

"Caius is right," Aro said with much more delight, "This means no laws have been broken. I am so pleased my friend! No Child of the Moon can control when they shift so your friends must indeed be shapeshifters. I hate having to engage in battle unless absolutely necessary".

Carlisle nodded, "Thank you my friend for hearing us out. I must enquire though, where is Irina?".

"Irina is still at the Volturi coven. She was upset by her false accusation and wished to remain there until after our discussion," Marcus answered. Carlisle, the other Cullen's and their witnesses just about fell over from shock at Marcus' comment. I wasn't sure whether their reaction was based on the fact that Irina hadn't been killed for her false accusations or whether it was because it had been many years since Marcus was active as a leader and didn't look half dead.

Suddenly an ashy blonde vampire and a vampire with short dark brown hair pounced towards the Volturi coven.

"For the Romanian Coven!" one of them shouted.

"No!" a random vampire yelled out, "They'll kill you Vladimir and Stefan!".

I quickly placed my hand over Jane's hand, looked into her eyes and pointed my hand towards the two rapidly approaching vampires, my mirror moulded and ready to cause them pain for their stupidity in attacking my mates.

"Pain," Jane said as we stared into each other's eyes. I heard the two vampires drop to the ground and grunt in pain but there were no screams which was disappointing. I wanted them to suffer for their brazen attack on the coven.

Caius smirked wickedly at the two squirming vampires, "Vladimir and Stefan. For attacking the Volturi, you are sentenced to death".

"Fuck you!" one of the vampires cursed as I heard him somehow manage to drag himself shakily to his feet, "This is for my coven!". I continued to stare into Jane's eyes as I heard the vampire start to slowly walk towards us. Moments later, I heard the other vampire pull himself to his feet and approach us as well.

'Fools,' I thought. I slowly started closing my hand and listened in delight as the two Romanian vampires dropped harshly to their knees and clenched their heads, screaming in pain. While I could have finished it off quickly, I was content to listen to them suffer a bit longer for daring to harm my mates. My inner beast was delighted by that. The two Romanian vampires continued to scream and I listened as small cracks started to appear on their paper white skin from the stress the torture was causing them.

"Would you be so kind my dear to finish it off?" Aro called out, "Their screams are starting to get annoying". I didn't need to be told twice. I clenched my hand shut into a fist, focusing Jane's power to a fatal level. I heard the heads of the two Romanian vampires shuttered into dust. I finally looked away from Jane and smirked at the sight of the two vampire corpses. My inner beast delighted with how I defended my mates.

"All over my coat," Caius scoffed in annoyance and used his hand to wipe some of the dust off his coat, "Even dead they're still annoying". I slowly lowered my arm and removed my hand from Jane's hand. It was only then that I noticed the group of horrified vampires in front of us.

Silence filled the field.

"I can assure you Aro that we had no idea Vladimir and Stefan were going to do that," Carlisle quickly assured, sensing that his family was in grave danger as a result of the stupidity of the now dead Romanian vampires.

Marcus smiled slightly, "The Volturi are reasonable if nothing else. We are aware that Vladimir and Stefan have been plotting our downfall for centuries. While it is very poor judgment on your behalf Carlisle, your family did not join in the attack so therefore, we will bestow mercy on you".

"But the next lack in judgment won't be forgiven so easily," Caius threatened. Before Carlisle could say anything, Alice and Jasper ran into the field. The two vampires quickly surveyed their friends and family before they looked at us. It was evident that they were surprised by how few vampires there were as well at the two corpses that laid in front of us.

"Ah, Alice and Jasper," Aro greeted, "I wondered where you two were". The two vampires stood awkwardly in the middle of the clearing between the two groups.

"We bring proof that Renesmee Cullen will not pose a danger when she's older," Alice announced confidently, "I've been searching for witnesses of my own among the Ticuna tribes of Brazil". Two vampires appeared next to Alice. One was a handsome young man of indigenous descent with brown skin, brown eyes and long black hair that was tied back in a braid. It wasn't obvious that he was a vampire. The only clue was that he was wearing basically nothing in the sub-freezing temperature and was not bothered by it. The other vampire was an olive-toned female with deep burgundy eyes and a long braid of black hair.

Caius looked at Alice in annoyance, "Foolish little girl. We have already investigated this issue and established that she poses no danger and no laws were broken". Alice looked shocked at the news and it was evident to me that while Alice had seen the Volturi coming, she did not know the purpose of our visit. I smiled quietly to myself. After extending the shield to protect my mates, Alice's visions must not have worked properly anymore.

'I'm so glad I convinced my mates to come on the same day. It makes the Cullens look incompetent. Continuously bringing up an issue that has already been addressed,' I thought, 'But wait…didn't Alice just say Brazil? One looks like a vampire and the other not so much but definitely is a vampire. Surely there's no way that this could be Huilen and the hybrid mentioned from the diary entries Marcus and I found'.

"Brazil," I whispered softly so only my mates and the guards would hear me, "What do you think the odds are Marcus that these two are Huilen and the mysterious half-libishomen that vampire was hunting?".

"Potentially," Marcus hummed in response, "I get the feeling that someone is pulling a lot of strings behind the background".

"Little swan," Aro said softly and exposed his hand to me that was hidden away from view of the other vampires, "If you would be so kind to refresh my memory on the topic". I lowered the shield around my hand and lightly rested it on Aro's so he could see my thoughts. Everything Marcus and I had read and my conclusion that despite the seemingly impossible odds, the two vampires in front of us were potentially from the journal.

Aro smiled at the two foreign vampires, "Well since you have travelled all this way, I am curious to hear what you have to say".

The young male looked hesitant but proceeded to speak, "I am half human, half vampire like the child. A vampire seduced my mother who died giving birth to me. My Aunt Huilen raised me as her own. I made her immortal".

'Bingo,' I thought, 'Turns out the vampire world isn't as big as I thought it was'.

"How old are you?" Bella demanded to know. It took me by surprise. It was the first time in many months that I had heard her voice. I had almost completely forgotten she was here.

The young man turned to look at my twin, "150 years".

Marcus stepped forward which caused the two foreign vampires to turn their attention back to the Volturi, they both looked very nervous by the sudden attention, "We would be honoured if you were to accompany us back to Volterra. I believe we have much to discuss".

The female, who I believe to be Huilen, looked uncomfortable at the request, "While I greatly thank you for your…kind offer, we are uneasy when not back home in South America".

"Of course. The Volturi will always have its doors open for you," Marcus replied, "I do wish we could have our discussions sooner rather than later though. We would like to gather as much information about the vampire who seduced your sister and your mother Pire". My inner beast purred at Marcus' cunning nature.

"How…how did you know the name of my sister?" Huilen asked in shock.

"Like I said, we have much to discuss," Marcus replied simply.

Huilen and the male hybrid looked at each other and had a silent conversation before the male said, "We would be honoured to accept your invitation and come with you to Volterra to further discuss this topic".

"I would like to report a crime before you leave," Bella called out.

Aro turned his attention away from the two foreign vampires to my twin, "Oh dear! What crime has been committed Bella?". Carlisle looked at his daughter-in-law in horror and signalled for her to stop but Bella continued despite the warning.

"There is a law around vampires trespassing on the property of other vampires correct?" Bella asked. I froze. I knew exactly where this was going. In lowering my shield for Aro to read my thoughts, it revealed my once hidden scent. With Bella still being a newborn and the vampire who I'm pretty sure just about caught me during my Forks visit, she knew I had been on her land.

"That is correct," Caius responded. A wicked smirk appearing on his face as he too knew where this conversation was going. I could practically almost hear his 'I told you so' and knew he was certainly going to bring up my carelessness next time we were alone.

"Then I would like to report that one of your guards trespassed on our land without asking for permission first or introducing themselves," Bella then pointed at my cloaked form, "It was that vampire there". Tension once again filled the air while I internally debated what I was going to do.

Aro hummed, "You are right Isabella however there are expectations to that rule".

"Correct me if I'm wrong Aro but being a Volturi guard is not an exception," Edward chined in with his mate. If Carlisle didn't looked freaked out before, he certainly was now.

"My apologies Aro. Edward and Bella do not intend to follow through with their accusation," Carlisle quickly intervened.

"No, we fully intend too," Edward said as he wrapped his hand around Bella's, "We want the vampire held accountable for their actions". I was very aware that every vampire, including my mates were staring at me.

'Well Aro, let's see whose more dramatic, you or me,' I thought as I once again lowered the shield on my hand and brushed it against Aro's as I walked to the front of the Volturi coven. I could feel Aro's amused gaze burn on the back of my head.

"You are indeed right Mrs Cullen that it is forbidden for a vampire to cross onto your land without permission or making themselves known," I began, "However as my mate Aro stated, there is an exception to the rule". It was almost comical the reaction that the word mate caused. Carlisle and several other vampires now looked very concerned by this latest development. The shapeshifters sensed the growing danger and began to pace nervously as they watched the scene unfold before them.

"Being related by blood to one of the vampires of the coven," I lifted my hands up and slowly pulled my hood down to reveal my face to my twin, "Is the exception".

* * *

**Hello everyone!**

**The big reveal has finally come! I'm planning to do the next chapter from the Cullen's perspective so you can understand why the Romanians attacked and Bella's logic of pushing for the guard's punishment as well as their thoughts about the Lottie reveal!**

**I would like to apologise for any editing/spelling issues in this chapter. I've had this chapter completed since Sunday but haven't had a moment to be able to sit and edit it properly. I've started writing the next one and really wanted to get this out for you as I know so many of you have been looking forward to it.**

**I hoped you enjoyed the way Lottie showed herself to everyone. I was thinking to think of an overdramatic way to do so and had this scene pictured since I first started to write this story.**

**Thank you as always for your support and stay safe xxx**


	11. Chapter 11

" _I'm not going to miss Phoenix's heat that's for sure," I grumbled in annoyance as I shielded myself from the piercing Arizona sunlight. It was a searing hot dry day that made me miserable despite it being quite early in the morning._

_Bella chuckled softly, "Until we arrive in Forks and you moan about missing the heat". I shrugged my shoulders but didn't disagree with my twin. Too hot, I complained. Too cold, I complained._

" _Fair point," I agreed, "But it'll be nice to see Dad and the boys again"._

" _You just saw them all over your two-week holiday in December," Bella commented._

" _Yeah," I whined, "But I can bake to my heart's content and know that there are three growing boys who will scoff all my food down. I have to be so cautious when cooking with just Dad or you, Mum and Phil to make sure I don't waste food". Before Bella could reply, our Mum suddenly appeared behind us and wrapped her arms around the both of us._

" _I'm going to miss you both so much!" she sobbed softly and squeezed us tightly._

_I squeezed her arm in comfort, "We'll call every day. Won't we Bella?". Bella gave a tight-lipped smiled but nodded in agreement._

" _Guys, come on! I love you both but we got a plane to catch," Phil interrupted as he closed the boot of the car. Mum released us from her hug and wiped a few stray tears away. She looked down at her watch and it was comical how wide her eyes went._

" _Oh shit," she cursed, "We gotta go!". Bella and I laughed as we watched Mum suddenly become an adult and hurry us into the car. Somehow, we managed to make it to the airport on time. I'm pretty sure Phil may have been speeding most of the way but he wasn't caught so technically, it never happened. Saying our goodbyes was hard but I was excited to see Dad and the boys again. Bella and I boarded the plane without any issues and we took our seats for the plane ride to Seattle._

" _Come on Bella," I encouraged my twin, "It'll be fun living with Dad"._

_My sister didn't share my excitement, "It's different for you Lottie. You've seen Dad every Christmas while I haven't seen him in years, we only occasionally chat on the phone"._

" _May I remind you that you didn't want to come all those times," I replied as I fastened my seat belt._

_Bella sighed as she too fastened her seat belt, "And leave Mum alone on Christmas without both daughters? Can you imagine how she would react?"._

_I cringed slightly as I saw my twin's point. Our Mum, while eccentric and I loved her for every bit of it, she would have made a massive deal about not having Christmas with at least one of us. When I first said I wanted to spend Christmas with our Dad, it was because Bella and I had missed spending the summer with him. I refused not to see him and while it caused a lot of waves, Mum eventually gave up and let me do so. It just sort of then became a thing. I would visit Dad for two weeks over Christmas and Bella would stay at home with Mum._

" _It won't be as bad as your making things out to be," I assured Bella, "Dad loves us and he's been so happy that we're coming to stay with him". Bella gave another one of her famous tight-lipped smile but didn't say anything in response._

' _Well,' I thought miserably, 'This is going to be oh so fun'. The plane trip zipped by and I had to contain my excitement as Bella and I disembarked. I eagerly surveyed the crowd trying to find our Dad and my face lit up when I spotted the lone police officer in the crowd._

" _Dad!" I shouted as I dashed over to him. Dad grinned as he opened his arms and caught me in a hug._

" _Good to see you kiddo," He smiled and patted me on the back several times. I looked over my shoulder and watched as Bella awkwardly approached us and nervously waved her hand in greeting. I pulled away from Dad's hug and watched in amusement as the two stuttered out a greeting and then proceeded to go quiet having no idea what to say._

_Deciding to take mercy on the pair, I suggested, "Shall we go get our bags and head home? It's certainly been a while since Bells would have seen it"._

" _Right," Dad looked thankful for my suggestion, "Bags. Let's get the bags". We made our way to the baggage claim and collected our bags before piling into Dad's police car and headed back to Forks. I made (forced) Bella to sit in the front to try and break the awkwardness that had been lingering since we saw Dad. We drove for several miles in silence and somehow, despite my best intentions, it was getting more uncomfortable._

" _Your hair's longer," Dad said as he tried to break the awkward silence between himself and Bella._

" _I cut it since the last time I saw you," Bella replied as she looked down at her hair in confusion. I could have face palmed at her stupidity._

_Dad cleared his throat, "Guess it grew out again". I waited until Dad turned back to look at the road and kicked her seat. I watched in satisfaction as Bella jolted up and looked at me in confusion while I glared at her._

" _Try," I mouthed._

" _B-But," Bella quickly stuttered, "It is definitely longer now"._

' _Lord help me,' I thought, 'She is going to be the death of me'. I practically leapt out of the car when Dad pulled up in front of his house, grateful to rid myself of the world's most awkward car ride. Bella and I collected our bags and trailed after Dad inside as he led us up the stairs to where the bedrooms were._

" _You're in the same room as always Lottie," Dad said as we climbed the stairs, "I've cleared some shelves off in the bathroom in case you need more room for…your face creams"._

_I scoffed at his comment, "And as I've told you Dad, not all of us can just use soap and water to clean our faces. Do you want us to break out in acne?"._

_Dad hummed, "Well, the good old soap and water technique has worked for the last 30-odd years so I am a satisfied customer"._

_I looked at him horrified by his comment which made him chuckle, "Anyway Bells, Lottie has some stuff and her various face creams already in the bathroom from her last visit. I cleared a bit of space so you can put some stuff"._

" _Soap and water," I muttered to myself in disbelief as I entered my bedroom, "How can he have such nice skin with soap and water? I do it once and my face breaks out in acne". It was nice being back in Forks. My room was quite small but I loved it all the same. My single bed sat in the middle of the room with a small desk tucked into the corner. When I was younger, I was obsessed with fairies and had strung fairy lights up everywhere in my room. Despite being a teenager now, I refused to take them down because I still loved them. I had a bedside table with a digital clock and lamp as well as a mountain of pillows on my bed. One can never have to many pillows. My favourite part of my room however was the photo wall I had created. On the wall running alongside the door, it was covered in photos of my family and friends._

_**BING** _

_I dumped my bags down on my bed and fished my phone from my bag. I grinned when I saw it was from Jacob who said he and his dad were almost here. I ran down the stairs and opened the front door just as a faded red truck pulled up._

" _Jacob!" I shouted excitedly when I saw my friend driving. Pretty sure he was underage and shouldn't be doing that but hey, at least Dad wouldn't give him a ticket…I hoped. Jacob jumped out of the car and waved enthusiastically at me. I heard Billy holla something from the passenger side and Jacob smiled sheepishly as he quickly went around to help his dad out and set Billy up in the wheelchair. I ran down the porch stairs and threw my arms around Jacob, pulling him into a hug._

" _Bloody hell Jake," I laughed as he easily picked me up and squeezed me tighter in a hug, "You've gotten so big!"._

" _Or you just got shorter," he replied cheekily. He placed me back on the ground just as Dad approached the both of us._

_I turned my attention to the head of the Black family, "Good to see you again Billy"._

" _Hello Lottie. I'm thankful as always to see that you didn't incorporate any of your father's looks. You're growing into a beautiful woman," Billy complimented. My cheeks turned red at his praise._

" _My looks aren't that bad…but I do agree it's probably a good thing the twins have taken after their mother. Heard you guys coming all the way down the road," Dad teased, "Good to see you". He shook Jacob's hand just as Bella emerged from the house._

" _Bella," Dad greeted, "You remember Billy Black?"._

" _Yeah," my twin smiled, "Wow, you're looking good"._

_Billy chuckled at Bella's comment, "Well, I'm still dancing. I'm glad you're finally here. Dad here hasn't shut up about it since you told him you were coming"._

_Dad rolled his eyes, "Alright. Keep exaggerating and I'll roll you into the mud"._

" _After I ram you in the ankles," Billy quickly manoeuvred his wheelchair and I watched in amusement as Dad had to throw himself out of Billy's line of fire._

" _You want to go?" Dad threatened playfully as he and Billy headed onto the road so there was more space for their childish antics._

_Bella watched the two in disbelief, "Are they always like this?". Jake and I chuckled at her question, completely unfazed by Billy's and Dad's childish antics. When I came to visit Dad for Christmas, we would normally go over to the Black residence for Christmas dinner. With Billy being a well-respected figure in the La Push community, it was common that many families came over as well. Normally the kids who were old enough would head down to the beach and set up a bonfire while the adults had their conversations. Billy and Dad duelling it out was always to just be expected._

_Jacob hummed, "It's getting worse with old age"._

" _And there both as bad as each other," I agreed with Jacob._

" _Stop messing around you two," Jacob finally called out, "We're burning day light!". The adults, very reluctantly though, stopped messing around and sheepishly approached us._

" _So," Dad began as he patted the side of the truck, "What do you think?". Bella looked at Dad in confusion while I raised an eyebrow._

' _What on earth is Dad talking about?' I thought._

" _Of what?" Bella asked the question I was thinking._

" _Your homecoming present," Dad smiled, "I bought this beauty off Billy. Figured you two could use a set of wheels around this little town". Bella and I stared at him in shock._

" _This?" Bella asked in surprise as her eyes lit up, "Wow!"._

_I couldn't contain my excitement, "This is incredible! Thank you so much Dad!"._

" _I totally rebuilt the engine for you," Jake added. I watched as my twin inspected the car and I had to choke back a laugh as Bella threw the driver's side car door open in excitement and just about knocked Jacob off his feet._

" _Sorry," Bella apologised sheepishly as she climbed into the vehicle. I strolled around to the front of the car while Jacob jumped into the passenger seat and popped the hood, wanting to see what the engine looked like. I hummed, impressed by the level of work Jacob did. It was only in the last few years that I had developed an interest in cars. It was to be expected really with my three best friends being guys. When I visited over the Christmas holidays, it wasn't unexpected if the one of the boys had managed to pick up a malfunction engine or part and we would fix it up._

_I heard Billy chuckle, "I told you they'd love it. I told you, I'm down with the kids"._

" _Oh yeah dude, you're the bomb," Dad replied sarcastically._

* * *

The atmosphere was filled with tension. The Cullens and their witnesses made their way into the open snow-covered field near Forks and waited for the Volturi to arrive.

"If we live through this, I'll follow you anywhere woman," Garrett whispered softly to Kate as he looked at her.

Kate smiled sadly at him before turning back to the mist lingering in the distance, "Now you tell me?". It was only moments later that the vampires could hear the rustling of the trees beyond the mist.

"The Redcoats are coming. The Redcoats are coming," Garrett murmured uneasily as the Volturi slowly started emerging from the mist. As more and more vampires started to emerge, the Cullens and their witnesses started to shift nervously when they saw how few vampires the Volturi had bought. It seemed that they had only brought the coven and no witnesses of their own.

"Anyone else a bit concerned over the lack of vampires?" Garrett asked nervously as he surveyed the approaching vampires.

Kate's eyes apprehensively darted from side to side as she looked at the tree line, "Maybe there's more lurking in the shadows?".

Edward frowned, "I can't read Aro's thoughts. I can't read any of the leaders' thoughts".

"A shield perhaps?" Bella commented as the Volturi came to a stop a fair distance away.

Bella watched as her father-in-law walked towards the front, "Aro, let's discuss things as we used to. In a civilised manner".

Aro's eyes surveyed the crowd of vampires, "Fair words Carlisle but a little out of place given the battalion you've assembled against us".

"I can promise you that was never my intent," Carlisle said trying to maintain the peace, "No laws have been broken".

"Something's not right," Rosalie whispered to Emmett, "The Volturi are nothing if not heavy handed. Why are there so few?". Emmett didn't respond to his wife but pulled her tighter to his chest. While Emmett knew he was by no means the brightest crayon in the draw, even he knew the lack of Volturi numbers was concerning. They were either extremely confident in their powers or they had suffered massive losses and were short on vampires…the last one highly unlikely as everyone in the vampire world would have heard…especially with the Romanians so eager to exact their revenge.

Aro smiled, "Why do you think we are here my good friend Carlisle?".

Carlisle swore that if he had a heart, it would be pounding, "The child is not an immortal child".

"Carlisle," Aro said in mock shock, "Is that why you think we are here? The Volturi take our duty of protecting the vampire race very seriously. We have already investigated Irina's claims and confirmed that little Renesmee Cullen is indeed half mortal and half immortal. While extremely rare, not unheard of".

"What the hell is going on?" Garrett asked in a panicked voice, "I thought you said the Volturi were coming for the child. If they're not here for Renesmee, what are they here for then?". The Cullens and their witnesses started to shift nervously from foot to foot as the true seriousness of the situation was starting to sink in. The Volturi were here and it wasn't for the issue that everyone had prepared for.

Carlisle quickly composed himself, "Then I must ask my friend, what are you here for?".

Aro tsked, "Dear Carlisle, we heard rumours about you conspiring with the Children of the Moon. As you can appreciate, this causes significant danger to our kind".

"They're shapeshifters," Carlisle quickly responded, "They shape-shift into wolf forms but are not Children of the Moon". Carlisle looked behind him and made eye contact with the wolf form of Jacob.

"He wants you to transform," Edward muttered to Jacob quietly, "It'll prove to the Volturi that you can control your phasing. Something Children of the Moon cannot".

'Well, if I'm going to flash all the vampires, may as well flash the ones who are practically considered royalty,' Jacob thought. He shifted back into his human form and quickly placed his hands over his groin as his cheeks burned in embarrassment. The entire pack, even bloody Sam, were giving him so much shit right now.

'Anything to keep Renesmee safe,' Jacob chanted in his head, 'Anything to keep Renesmee safe'. After a few more moments of agonising embarrassment, Jacob transformed back into his wolf form.

"How delightful," Caius said sarcastically.

"Caius is right," Aro said with much more delight causing Carlisle to feel much more relaxed then he had been in weeks, "This means no laws have been broken. I am so pleased my friend! No Child of the Moon can control when they shift so your friends must indeed be shapeshifters. I hate having to engage in battle unless absolutely necessary".

Carlisle nodded, "Thank you my friend for hearing us out. I must enquire though, where is Irina?".

"Irina is still at the Volturi coven. She was upset by her false accusation and wished to remain there until after our discussion," Marcus answered.

"I-Irina's still alive?" Tanya asked in surprise, "I thought…I thought they would have killed her".

Kate breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank gosh".

"Did…Did Marcus just speak?" Garrett asked in shock.

Eleazar was also just about rendered speechless, "I…I believe so".

Bella listened to the conversations happening around her quietly before she looked at Edward from the corner of her eye, "Why is this a shock to everyone?".

Edward kept his eyes fixated on the Volturi but responded, "There is a law that false accusations is punishable by death. Not that I want Irina dead but since the Volturi knew in advance that Renesmee wasn't an immortal child, Irina should have been killed as per the law. With Marcus…it's been several years, several centuries in fact since he's been an active leader. Looking at him now, I can't ever recall him looking so sharp".

"What…what does this mean for us?" Bella asked in a concerned voice, "Why are the Volturi acting…so un-Volturi-like?".

It was several moments before Edward replied, "I'm not sure…but whatever has happened to the Volturi coven…it's big".

* * *

_Pulling up to school on our first day was definitely a daunting experience._

" _It won't be that bad Bella," I tried to be optimistic, "I'm sure plenty of students start in March…in the middle of the semester…in a small town where everyone knows each other and we will literally stick out like a sore thumb"._

_Bella looked at me in disbelief, "That's your grand pep talk?"._

" _You could find the love of your life here?" I jokingly added, "But in all seriousness, I baked chocolate brownies so we can share them with our future friends". I unzipped my bag and showed her the top of the pink container with the baked goodies in them._

" _Pink for school and blue for the boys," I said as I zipped my bag back up, "Are you sure you don't want to come to La Push with me after school?"._

_Bella rolled her eyes at me, "Maybe we should skip the pep talk. I'll see how I feel after school". We both stayed in the car and didn't move for several moments._

" _Do you think they think it's weirder if we stay in the car until the absolute last possible minute or if we head in with all the other students," I broke the silence as I watched several students peer curiously at the car._

_Bella didn't immediately respond, "Think we can both call in sick?"._

" _If our Dad wasn't chief of police I would say yes," I grumbled as I was slowly starting to accept my fate of the awkwardness that was bound to happen._

_Bella sighed but nodded in agreement, "Let's get this over with". We both exited the car and slowly made our way to the school entry._

" _Nice ride," a teenager around our age with a red sweater called out._

_Bella gave her famous tight-lipped smile, "Thanks". I smiled politely at the teenager before Bella and I continued to make our way to the administration office. Before we even made it to the door, a young Asian teenager blocked our path._

" _The new girls! Charlotte and Isabella Swan! Hi, I'm Eric, the eyes and ears of this place. Anything you need tour guide, lunch date, shoulder to cry on," Eric grinned, "Now who is Charlotte and who is Isabella?"._

' _Because this isn't totally overwhelming at all,' I thought._

_I did my best to smile sincerely, "I'm Charlotte. I normally go by Lottie though. This is my twin Bella"._

" _So are you like…identical?" Eric asked as he studied the two of us._

_Bella smiled uncomfortably as she laughed nervously, "Close but not quite. We're really the kind of more suffer-in-silence type"._

" _Like the twins from The Shining," Eric laughed, "Good headline for your feature! I'm on the paper and you're both news baby, front page material"._

'… _I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult,' I thought._

" _Thank you?" I managed to say while Bella stuttered over her words, "If it's okay Eric, we would love to miss the whole feature piece in the paper. Just until we settle in at least"._

" _Woah, woah, chillax," Eric gave us two thumbs up, "No feature. I got your backs!". I had a horrible feeling today was going to be a very, very long day. However, I was pleasantly surprised when it wasn't. Bella's lack of volleyball skills never ceased to amuse me and I met a sweet girl called Angela who introduced me to her friends Jessica, Tyler and Mike. While they were all very welcoming, Jessica definitely had the Regina George mean girl vibe going on and I was not interested in dealing with it._

" _You both should come eat lunch with us," Mike offered enthusiastically after gym._

_Jessica however looked less than impressed with Mike's offer to us but gave a tight-lipped smile to us, "You totally should". Though her facial expression practically said 'DON'T YOU DARE'!_

" _Okay," Bella agreed nervously while I died a bit inside at Bella's reply. I envied Bella's ability not to sense danger, in this case, the 60kg Jessica who was not happy with us being the school's new obsession. We entered the lunchroom and I sat awkwardly with Jessica while Bella went and got us food._

" _So are you two like…identical," Jessica asked, "You guys look the same but aren't quite"._

' _You literally just answered your own question,' I thought._

_I smiled trying to make this whole conversation less uncomfortable, "We aren't identical. Though if someone has poor eyesight and isn't wearing glasses, then we are identical". Jessica didn't laugh or even crack a smile at my joke. I almost sighed in relief when Bella approached the table with two trays._

' _Talk about perfect timing sis,' I thought in relief. Eric took a seat next to me at the table but I ignored him in favour of watching the approaching food. As a baker, I loved trying other people's food to see whether it would inspire my next dish._

_I watched in amusement as Mike just about tripped over himself trying to walk in front of Bella to pull her seat out, "It's my pleasure madame". Eric looked a bit put off by Mike's actions but didn't say anything. Bella handed me the tray and my nose almost turned up looking at the unappealing food I saw._

'… _I don't think school will be a place I find my next dish inspiration,' I thought in despair as I cautiously picked up my food._

" _Burrito my friend?" Mike offered Eric a burrito as he took a seat._

" _Hey Mikey," Eric greeted as he took the burrito from Mike's hand, "You met my homegirls Bella and Lottie?"._

" _Oh, your homegirls?" Mike replied in amusement. I could practically see the daggers shooting from Jessica's eyes at Mike's comment._

' _How dense are these guys', I thought, 'Can they not see that this constant attention is making us first on Jess' kill list'._

" _My girl," Tyler said as he appeared out of nowhere before kissing Bella on the cheek and pulled Mike's seat out from under him, "Sorry I had to mess up your game". Tyler took off running with Mike hot on his heels._

" _Oh my god. It's like first grade all over again. You're the shiny new toy," Jessica said, jealousy evident in her voice._

" _Smile," a flash of light temporary blinded me, "Sorry, I needed a candid for the feature"._

_Before I could even greet Angela, Mike snapped, "The features dead Angela. Don't bring it up again"._

" _It's okay. We just-," Bella was interrupted when Eric placed a hand on her shoulder._

" _It's okay. I got your back baby," Eric assured my twin before he left the table._

_Angela looked very disheartened by the turn of events, "Guess we'll just run another editorial on teen drinking"._

" _Or," I chimed as I wrapped my arm around Bella's shoulder and pulled her into a one arm hug, "You take a photo of Bella and I now that we are ready for it and we give you an exclusive interview"._

_Angela looked shocked by my suggestion, "I've only ever taken photos. I've never actually conducted an interview before"._

_I continued to smile at Angela even as I felt Bella's nails start to dig into my leg, signalling her displeasure over my offer for Angela, "It could be a fun fact kind of thing. You could also include other students as a fun way for everyone to get involved and not make it all about the new girls. I'm sure Jess would have some pretty cool fun facts"._

_Jessica suddenly looked pleased by my praise, "Not to brag but I do have some cool facts"._

" _My fun fact," I began as I reached into my bag and pulled the pink container out, "I absolutely love to bake!". I opened the lid to reveal the chocolate brownies and placed them in the middle of the table._

" _Please," I offered it to them, "Help yourselves!". Angela thanked me as she reached in and took one while Jess shook her head and said she was on a diet._

" _Oh my gosh," Angela said after she had a bite, "These are amazing! Jess, you totally need to have one!". Jess hesitated but reached in and picked one up. Bella and I grabbed one as well and I watched Jess curiously to see her reaction. I watched as her eyes lit up in delight after one bite but she quickly concealed her emotions, "They're okay"._

_Angela rolled her eyes, "They're not just okay! These are incredible Lottie!". I felt my cheeks go red from her praise. It was the worst kept secret that I didn't know how to handle compliments. I was always so touched but I never knew how to properly vocalise it so I just nodded my head in thanks as I took another bite. While I was busy mentally patting myself on the back for getting Queen Bee on our side, something out the window caught Bella's attention._

" _Who are they?" Bella suddenly asked. I followed her gaze and saw a group of teenagers walk inside._

_Angela smiled at my sister's question, "The Cullens"._

_Jessica quickly picked up where Angela left off, "They're Dr and Mrs Cullen's foster kids. They moved down here from Alaska, like a few years ago"._

" _They kind of keep to themselves," Angela further explained._

" _Yeah cause they're all together," Jessica whispered like she was revealing a massive scandal, "Like, together, together. The blonde girl, that's Rosalie and the big dark-haired guy, Emmett. They're like a thing. I'm not even sure that's legal". Rosalie was absolutely stunning. She had long wavy blonde hair and dimly coloured gold eyes. Even just wearing jeans and a white blouse, she looked like a supermodel. Emmett on the other hand was very tall and very burly. He had slightly curly dark brown hair and the same dimly coloured gold eyes._

' _Well,' I thought, 'It's easy to see what coloured eyes their baby is going to have'._

" _Jess," Angela scold, "They're not actually related"._

_Jessica was unfazed by Angela's comment, "Yeah but they live together. It's weird. Okay, the little dark-haired girl's Alice…she's really weird and she's with Jasper…the blonde one who looks like he's in pain. Dr Cullen's like this foster dad/matchmaker". Alice was a tiny thing with short deep black cropped hair that pointed in every direction and had bright gold eyes. Jasper on the other hand had bright gold eyes as well but his honey blonde shoulder length hair was a stark contrast to hers._

' _Do you need to have gold eyes to be adopted or something?' I thought, 'Having gold eyes was certainly a unique mannerism that all the children shared'._

" _Maybe he'll adopt me," Angela joked as she battled her eyelashes. I laughed at Angela's joke while Jessica didn't look too impressed._

_Bella interrupted our laughing, "Who's he?"._

" _That's Edward Cullen," Jessica replied in a dreamy voice. I watched as a young man with untidy bronze coloured hair and dimly coloured gold eyes walk into the lunchroom._

_Jessica continued, "He's totally gorgeous, obviously, but apparently nobody here's good enough for him. Like I care you know?"._

' _I'm sure you don't,' I thought sarcastically._

" _So yeah…seriously, like, don't waste your time," Jessica enforced once again._

_Bella didn't take her eyes away from the Cullens, "I wasn't planning on it". I drew my attention away from my twin and looked at the Cullens again. I couldn't describe it but my skin crawled when I looked at them. I couldn't place my finger on it but something was weird about them. I don't know what but…they were weird._

* * *

"Those fuckers," Vladimir hissed to Stefan as he watched their opportunity for revenge slowly disappearing. The Cullen's had fucked up. The Volturi weren't here over the half breed and the more Carlisle and Aro conversed, the less likely it looked like a fight was going to take place. Fighting the Volturi and taking their revenge was the only thing of interest to the two Romanians. After waiting so many centuries, they were both furious that the opportunity to do so was looking less likely.

"I've never seen so few guards," Stefan commented as he studied the hooded figures, "Maybe they have grown so arrogant they deem it not necessary to have more".

Vladimir hummed in agreement, "I do not want to wait another however many years before another opportunity such as this presents itself. If the Volturi have grown cocky, while not ideal, this might be our only chance for a very long time".

"I agree," Stefan replied, "There was only ever been a handful of opportunities and this has been really the only promising one".

Vladimir thought for several moments before he responded, "This might be our only opportunity to catch them so off-guard".

"If we succeed, the Romanian Coven will finally have it's revenge," Stefan agreed.

"And if we fail, we will take out as many of them as we can. Make them regret ever messing with the Romanian Coven," Vladimir smirked, "We've learnt how to cope with that bitch Jane's power. They will never see it coming". Stefan grinned as he could practically taste revenge after all these years being on the run constantly. The two Romanians started to prepare themselves for battle.

"For the Romanian Coven!" Vladimir shouted as he and Stefan pounced.

* * *

**Hi everyone!**

**As always, thank you so much for your support! I know most of you were expecting last chapter's cliff-hanger to be addressed (and I promise it will!) but as I was re-reading my story, I wanted to really hash out the relationships that Lottie has more. As you would recognise, the flashback events happen during the first movie. The problem with starting straight at the action (where Lottie ends up in the Volturi much sooner) is that we miss key events that really show the strong relationships between Lottie and her family and friends. I felt by doing flashbacks, while still quite brief, of these key events would give Lottie a bit more depth…and make her reveal that much harder for the Cullens and the pack to take. In saying that though, I have just about finished the next chapter. Since the original chapter was over 10,000 words already (and I was still writing), I thought it best to split it into two. You can expect the second part to this chapter up on either Monday or Tuesday at the absolute latest (maybe even earlier because I'm having so much fun writing it)!**

**Thank you once again for all your incredible support and stay safe xxx**


	12. Chapter 12

_While I had thought the first day of school went as well as things could have gone, that quickly changed when Bella got in the car with me. She looked devastated and seconds away from crying._

" _Are you okay?" I asked concerned, "What happened?"._

_Bella didn't immediately reply, "…do I smell?"._

" _What?" I was taken aback by her question, "No! Not at all! Who the heck said that about you?"._

" _He didn't-," Bella began before I interrupted._

" _He? Who is he?" I demanded. How dare someone bully my twin!_

_Bella looked uncomfortable, "Please don't overreact Lottie. Edward was my partner in Biology and he acted…as if…as if I hadn't showered in weeks"._

_I stared at her in disbelief, "What a prick"._

" _It's not a big deal," Bella sighed, "I probably really shouldn't have mentioned anything"._

" _I completely disagree," I instantly responded, "I don't give a damn about who he thinks he is, he's a prick for doing that to you. What a wanker!"._

_Bella sighed once again, "Let's just go home". I pierced my lips but held my tongue and didn't say anything else as I started the car up. I pulled out of the school parking lot and desperately thought of anything I could say to break the uncomfortable silence that was happening._

" _Can I just say though," I began, "How creepy was it when Tyler kissed your cheek at lunch?". I smiled when I saw the corner of Bella's lips twitch up._

_Bella chuckled softly, "Yeah that was pretty weird"._

" _Right!" I agreed, "I mean, he knew you all of what, one gym period?"._

" _I would have picked Mike to do something like that," Bella commented._

_I laughed, "And risk Jess' rage? Even Mike can sense when he's in danger"._

_Bella looked confused, "Was Jess mad?"._

" _Oh Bella," I smiled at my twin's ignorance, "Your ability to miss danger both amuses and concerns me. When Mike made the homegirl comment, I thought Jess was going to lunge herself across the table at you. Mean Girl style. She was furious!"._

" _Oh," Bella replied as I pulled up in the driveway, "I…I didn't even notice"._

" _And that my dear twin," I teased, "Probably made her so much madder"._

_Bella cringed, "I'll pay more attention next time"._

_I scoffed, "Don't change for her. She is not worth it. Edward Cullen is not worth it. Are you sure you don't want to come to La Push? Em and Q will love you!"._

_Bella smiled softly at me as she gathered her bag and jumped out of the car, "I have…homework. Enjoy the time with your friends"._

_I raised my eyebrow, "Your using the homework excuse?"._

" _We have a lot of homework," Bella quickly defended herself._

_I put my hands up in peace not wanting to start a fight with my twin, "I won't pressure you to come but I think you would have a great time Bella. They would welcome you with open arms and they're great people"._

" _It's fine Lottie," Bella smiled in what I assume was meant to be a reassuring way but looked like she was off to the gallows, "Hang out with your friends. I'll see you later tonight". Before I could even reply, Bella closed the car door. I watched in disappointment as Bella quickly made her way inside the house. I sighed softly and shifted the car in reverse as I backed out of the driveway. My twin's lack of social interaction had always caused me concern. I had a small group of very good friends in Phoenix but Bella never really had that. Despite my best efforts to include her as much as I could, she simply wasn't interested. It broke my heart. Bella didn't seem to mind but you didn't have to be a genius to realise that wasn't healthy. It was only when I realised I was driving up the Black driveway that it occurred how lost in my thoughts I was. I cringed at my carelessness. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I had practically driven to the Black household on autopilot._

' _Dad would ground me for the rest of my life if he knew I did that,' I thought. Before I could dwell on it more, I saw three teenage boys burst from the house and run towards my car. I quickly undid my seatbelt and jumped out of the car, just as I was crashed tackled by the trio._

" _Lottie!" Jake cheered. Somehow, the boys had managed to wrap themselves around me so I wouldn't feel the impact of the ground when they tackled me to the ground._

" _Our baker is back!" Em cheekily added._

" _Don't crush her!" Q lectured as the four of us laid tangled on the ground, "At least until we know where the baked goods are!"._

_I gasped in fake horror, "Em, Jake, the chocolate brownies I made is in a container in my backpack. For that comment, Q doesn't get any". Em and Jake laughed as they quickly untangled themselves from the mess and raced to get my backpack from the car._

_As Quil tried to get up, I literally flung myself onto him and was able to pin him down to the ground, "I can't hold him much longer". I watched as Em climbed into the car and tossed my bag to Jake before they both high tailed it to the house. It was then that Quil easily overpowered me and started to follow the boys. I somehow managed to jump on his back and clung to him like a koala._

" _I'm sorry Lottie!" Q apologised, "Those two bastards will eat all the brownies just to spite me!"._

_I just continued to laugh, "Well then onward noble steed!". Quil wrapped his arms around my legs and I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck as he chased after Em and Jake._

" _You better not drop me Ateara," I threatened him as Q actually started to pick up some pace, "Actually, better put me down". Quil was more than happy to oblige and practically dropped me to chase after the boys who were wolfing down the brownies. I laughed in amusement as Q crashed tackled them to the floor but somehow, Jake had managed to keep the container of brownies safe._

" _Well," I laughed as I approached the boys, "At least you know not to insult me next time Q". Quil had managed to wrestle a brownie off Em and stuffed it in his mouth._

_He moaned in delight at the flavour, "I completely regret it and I'm never doing it again"._

" _Pull yourself together Quil," Jake teased as he too wolfed down another brownie._

_I hummed as I watched the brownies disappear, "I forgot you guys are growing boys. I'll make a bigger batch next time"._

" _Onto business," Em suddenly said though I wasn't sure I could take him seriously with chocolate smeared on his face, "My neighbour has an old 1967 Chevy Impala that he's thinking of stripping and selling for parts. With you now living here Lottie, I was thinking we could maybe buy it together and restore it"._

" _Really?" I asked in excitement, "What are you thinking?"._

* * *

"For the Romanian Coven!" Vladimir shouted as he and Stefan pounced towards the Volturi.

"No!" Eleazar shouted, "They'll kill you Vladimir and Stefan!". The group watched in horror as the two Romanians lunged towards the Volturi and then suddenly dropped to the ground, their bodies trembling slightly. The trembling, usually accompanied by screaming, was a commonly known side effect of Jane's power. It was only then that some of the older vampires, who had experienced battle before, saw a hand from the cloaked Volturi guards pointed towards the Romanian vampires.

"That's definitely Jane's power but…not at the same time. Who is that?" Esme whispered softly as she watched the scene in growing horror.

"They're going to bloody get us all killed," Garrett hissed in frustration.

Caius smirked wickedly at the two squirming vampires, "Vladimir and Stefan, for attacking the Volturi, you are sentenced to death".

"Fuck you!" Vladimir cursed, "This is for my coven". The group continued to watch in fear as the Romanians somehow crawled to their feet and continued to head towards the Volturi at an alarming rate.

Tanya looked at Kate and Garrett, "Prepare yourselves for battle. This is going to be a blood bath. With that speed, Vladimir and Stefan are going to take out as many guards as possible. We're about to become collateral damage because of those bloody Romanians". Vladimir and Stefan suddenly dropped to their knees. They both clenched their heads and started screaming in agony.

"That's new," Carmen cringed at the anguish of the Romanians, "Jane's power has never done that before".

"I can only sense Jane's ability," Eleazar added, "I would have said that hand belongs to Jane but she's too tall to be Jane".

"A shield ability then," Carmen concluded.

"Would you be so kind my dear to finish it off?" Aro called out, "Their screams are starting to get annoying". The group watched as the hand closed completely into a fist. There was a small scream from Esme as the heads of the Romanian vampires shuttered into dust.

"What the fuck?" Garrett asked in fear, "W-What the fuck was that?".

'From the panic of the vampires,' Embry thought over the pack's link, 'I'm going to say exploding vampire heads isn't normal'.

'Anyone's head exploding isn't normal,' Jacob snarled back over the link.

"All over my coat," Caius scoffed in annoyance and used his hand to wipe some of the dust off his coat, "Even dead they're still annoying". The group of vampires watched as the hand was lowered and disappeared back into the Volturi cloak.

"I can assure you Aro that we had no idea Vladimir and Stefan were going to do that," Carlisle quickly assured, sensing that his family was in grave danger as a result of the stupidity of the now dead Romanian vampires.

Marcus smiled slightly, "The Volturi are reasonable if nothing else. We are aware that Vladimir and Stefan have been plotting our downfall for centuries. While it is very poor judgment on your behalf Carlisle, your family did not join in the attack so therefore, we will bestow mercy on you".

"But the next lack in judgment won't be forgiven so easily," Caius threatened. Before Carlisle could say anything, Alice and Jasper ran into the field.

* * *

" _I'm going to confront him," Bella said in a determined voice as we pulled into the high school parking lot on our second day of school._

_I put the truck into park and sighed, "Bells, he's honestly not worth it. He's a complete prick, ignore him". Bella seemed to disregard my statement, determined to follow through…hence why we arrived at school a full 30 minutes beforehand._

" _It's a matter of principle," Bella argued back._

" _Or," I began, "You might have a crush on him and don't like the fact he brushed you off. You should be happy though! Him and his family are a bit…weird…I don't know. I have a bad feeling about them. Besides, Edward's not really attractive"._

_Bella looked at me horrified, "You don't think he's attractive?"._

_I shrugged my shoulders, "The whole teenage angst isn't really my thing"._

" _And your crush on Paul Lahote is so much better?" Bella snapped back. My cheeks turned bright red in embarrassment at my sister's comment. I had been foolish enough to tell my twin about my tiny crush on La Push's bad boy, Paul Lahote. I dared not tell the boys! I would never, ever hear the end of it! He had come to the Black's Christmas celebration last year and we got talking…and I thought he was pretty cool…and cute._

" _Bella," I said mortified, "I didn't tell you my crush for it to be used as a weapon against me!"._

_Bella apologised immediately, "Sorry! That wasn't right of me. Regardless though, taking Edward's appearance out of it, it's still the principle of the matter. I want to hear what he has to say"._

" _Right, well, you have fun with that," I began as we both exited the car, "I'm going to be a social butterfly". I watched as Bella pulled out her book, put her headphones in and waited by the car for Edward. I restricted the urge to roll my eyes and headed over to where Angela and a few others were. This process happened for several days, we would get to school early for Bella to confront Edward, I would go hang out with some friends and Edward wouldn't show up which made Bella even more frustrated. The pattern was broken however when Bella and I walked into Biology and I literally had to resist the urge to roll my eyes upon seeing the great Edward Cullen._

" _Bells," I warned her. She nodded absentmindedly as she walked towards her assigned seat beside him._

_I struggled to focus on the rest of the class as I watched the two interact. There was something weird about Edward that I couldn't shake off. While my sister seemingly couldn't get enough, I wanted nothing to do with him. I was grateful when class finished. I quickly collected my books and approached my twin._

" _Let's go Bella," I smiled cheerfully at her._

" _Edward's actually going to walk me to my locker," she smiled nervously as she looked at Edward from the corner of her eye._

_I mentally groaned, 'Oh she has a crush. Literally, any other guy and I wouldn't care. Why Edward though?'. I trailed behind the two as I watched them talk. They lingered by Bella's locker for a few moments before Edward suddenly stormed away._

' _And just like that, my crush on Paul is so much better than her crush on Edward,' I thought, 'Someone obviously has some anger management issues'._

" _Well that's not creepy at all," I mused as I approached Bella. She scoffed but didn't reply to my comment as she unloaded the books into her locker and headed outside to our car._

" _I can drive," I offered as Bella dumped her bag on the hood of the truck and started to finish the keys out._

" _I will," Bella smiled slightly which made me internally sigh in relief as it meant she had forgiven me for my stab at Edward, "Besides, it's the only time I can do it since you practically visit La Push every day". I laughed and walked around to the passenger side as I jumped in._

_Suddenly there was a loud honk. I whipped my head towards the noise and watched in horror as a car plaited towards us. I didn't even have time to call Bella's name before the car slammed into us. I felt my head slam against the window but barely even registered the pain as my thoughts were for my twin._

' _Bella!' I thought in horror, 'She was outside'. I slammed the door open and ran around to the driver's side._

" _Bella!" I screamed. My twin was crouched down…with Edward over her. I blinked and suddenly he was gone._

' _What on earth?' I thought in disbelief._

" _Bella are you okay?" I asked panicked._

_I suddenly found myself being wrapped up in Angela's arms, "Oh my gosh Lottie! You're bleeding!". It was only then that I registered the pulsing pain in my head. I slowly raised my hand to my head and felt some liquid._

" _Shit," I hissed softly at the stinging sensation. I heard Tyler say something but the throbbing in my head became all consuming and the last thing I saw was Angela's concerned face as I passed out._

_When I regained consciousness, I slowly opened my eyes to a stark white ceiling. I flinched harshly and closed my eyes again as the translucent light burned into my eyes._

" _Good to see your awake. You took quite a nasty hit to your head," a voice said. I much more cautiously opened my eyes this time as not to be blinded by the lights again and saw a doctor with blonde hair and honey gold eyes standing there._

" _My sister, is she okay?" I asked, suddenly feeling very sleepy._

_The doctor approached me and sat on the edge of my bed, "She's fine. You may feel a bit drowsy. We gave you some pain medication for the pain"._

" _Explains why I want to curl back up and sleep like there's no tomorrow," I muttered in replied as I tried to fight the ongoing heaviness of my eyes, "Who are you anyway?"._

" _Doctor Cullen," he said to me, "I'm going to keep you in overnight just to make sure everything's okay. It seems that your head hit the window quite hard. Thankfully it seems you've only suffered a concussion but I want to be on the safe side"._

_I hummed in response as my eyes began to drift shut, "Cullen. I'm assuming your Edward's dad?"._

" _I am," the doctor confirmed._

" _Please thank him for me," I groaned as I started to stop resisting the sleep that was threatening to consume me, "I still think he's weird but I swear I saw him protect Bella before the car hit". The doctor said something in response but I fell asleep before I heard it. The next few days passed in a blur. I was discharged from the hospital with strict orders to take it easy and sadly it meant that I couldn't go on the field trip. I wasn't overly bothered by missing out on it though. I was more mortified by the embarrassment I felt when I remembered my conversation with Dr Cullen. I had literally told Edward's dad directly to his face, that I thought his son was weird. When I told Dad and Bella, they both couldn't stop laughing which made me even more embarrassed._

_A few days after the incident and when my head wasn't pounding as much, I confined in my sister that I thought I saw Edward protecting her. My twin swiftly dismissed it and said she had gotten lucky and the car had just missed her. I was confused because I swore I saw him. Bella assured me that certainly wasn't the case as it was literally impossible for him to have flown across the carpark and stopped a minivan…she also reminded me that I had hit my head quite hard and my brain could be playing tricks as a result of my concussion…which honestly made complete sense. I was grateful to spend a few days at home before I had to see Edward. While I was 100% confident his dad wouldn't tell Edward my comment because of patient confidentiality and I wouldn't embarrass myself by thanking him for protecting my sister when it was physically impossible for him to do so, I knew I had voiced my opinion and that made the whole situation so much worse._

" _I'm off to school," Bella said as she placed a cup of tea on my bedside table._

_I groaned from my cocoon of beds in delight, "You are a legend do you know that?"._

" _Take it easy Lottie," Bella lectured, "And I left some soup in the pot downstairs for you"._

_I looked at Bella in shock, "But…you hate cooking"._

_She smiled at me, "And our chef is out of action. While it's nowhere near as good as yours, it'll do you for lunch today"._

" _Thank you," I was absolutely touched by her gesture, "Honestly, Bella. I really appreciate it". She gave me one last smile before she left my room. I heard her walk down the stairs and moments later, I heard our red truck start up. I slowly pulled myself into a sitting position and reach over to have a bit of the tea. I closed my eyes as I savoured the warmth before putting the tea down and diving back into my fortress of pillows and blankets. I managed to get a few hours of sleep in before I was awakened to the sound of something hitting my window. I grumbled in annoyance and dragged myself out of bed to see who the heck destroyed my slumber. I was shocked to see Jacob, Embry and Quil standing outside throwing little pebbles at my window. I quickly, or as quickly as I could manage, made my way downstairs and opened the front door._

" _What are you doing here?" I asked in shock, "Shouldn't you be at school?"._

_Embry grinned, "Quil here had a headache, I had a stomach-ache and Jake had diarrhea. Best take the day off to be safe and since we knew our trusty fourth amigo was resting due to her head injury-"._

" _And under strict instructions to take it easy which involved not cooking," Jake interrupted._

" _We decided to come cook ourselves," Quil finished as he held up a bag of groceries._

_I struggled to be mad at them as I was so touched by their kindness, "And this trip warranted you skipping school?"._

" _I would argue it's true friendship," Em countered, "Besides, do you know how long it took us to get here riding our bikes?"._

_Quil interrupted me before I could reply, "Hours Lottie, hours! Do you realise how steep the hills are around your place? Because I do"._

_Jake snorted, "Q's being overdramatic like usual. Now, let us in so we can cook you something decent. Heaven knows your Dad and Bella suck at cooking"._

" _Bella made me soup," I quickly defended my twin._

_Em chuckled, "Did you check whether it was green?"._

* * *

"You're concerned," Jasper noted as he, Alice, Huilen and Nahuel ran towards Forks.

Alice hummed, "I haven't been able to see the leaders' movement for several days now. I called Edward last night and warned him but it's the why I can't see it that concerns me".

"What about the guards?" Jasper questioned.

"I was able too until very recently," Alice replied, "Even when I had visions of the guards, it was always the same vision. They are coming to Forks but they don't know why. The leaders have kept the reason why a secret. They haven't even been tasked with obtaining witnesses! Now I can't see any visions of them…something's blocking me".

Jasper frowned in concern, "Potentially the leaders of the Volturi are wanting to keep this under wrap and are recruiting witness's personally? It would make it more intimidating and harder for witnesses to refuse".

"Maybe," Alice whispered, "We're about to find out". Alice and Jasper ran into the snow-covered field where their family and friends were facing down the Volturi. They both quickly scanned over the scene to see whether anyone had been hurt.

"Ah, Alice and Jasper," Aro greeted, "I wondered where you two were". The two vampires stood awkwardly in the middle of the clearing between the two groups.

"We bring proof that Renesmee Cullen will not pose a danger when she's older," Alice announced confidently, "I've been searching for witnesses of my own among the Ticuna tribes of Brazil". Two vampires appeared next to Alice. One was a handsome young man of indigenous descent with brown skin, brown eyes and long black hair that was tied back in a braid. The Cullens and their witnesses watched the man curiously. If they didn't know better, they would have said that he was human. The other vampire was an olive-toned female with deep burgundy eyes and a long braid of black hair.

"He looks human," Tanya observed as her eyes studied the young man, "However, given what he is wearing in this type of weather, he is most definitely not".

Her sister hummed in agreement, "Maybe he is the same as Ness?".

Garrett snorted, "I think they need to stop provoking the Volturi to look for a reason to kill us all".

Rosalie nodded in agreement, "The Volturi have already cleared us. Let's not encourage them to look deeper".

"Particularly if they themselves have already investigated the issue. It might just piss them off. Make them think we are doubting their judgment," Emmett piped in.

Caius looked at Alice in annoyance, "Foolish little girl. We have already investigated this issue and established that she poses no danger and no laws were broken". Alice was shocked. Everything she had saw before she could no longer was about Renesmee.

'If they're not here for her, what are they here for?', Alice thought in a panic. Jasper, sensing his wife's growing distress, quickly used his power to try and calm her down. Alice looked at him and nodded in thanks. From his many battles, Jasper knew that panicked soldiers were more likely to do something foolish and get themselves or someone else killed much sooner. Another scent suddenly filled the field. It alarmed both the Cullens and the witnesses as no one else had entered the field but the scent was strong.

"How were they able to hide their scent?" Carmen asked her mate in concern.

Eleazar hummed, "It appears the Volturi have a shield user".

"Edward," Bella whispered so quietly that only her mate could hear, "That's the scent! That's who I smelled that day in the forest!".

Edward shifted uncomfortably, "It explains how the Volturi knew about Ness and the wolves. She's a shield like yourself. She must have lowered her shield when Ness showed her memories".

Aro looked completely unfazed by the additional vampires and smiled at the two foreign vampires, "Well since you have travelled all this way, I am curious to hear what you have to say".

The young male looked hesitant but proceeded to speak, "I am half human, half vampire like the child. A vampire seduced my mother who died giving birth to me. My Aunt Huilen raised me as her own. I made her immortal".

"How old are you?" Bella demanded to know.

"Bella," Rosalie hissed in warning. Her family was so close to freedom and the last thing she wanted was for her sister-in-law to ruin it.

The young man turned to look at Bella, "150 years".

Marcus stepped forward which caused the two foreign vampires to turn their attention back to the Volturi, they both looked very nervous by the sudden attention, "We would be honoured if you were to accompany us back to Volterra. I believe we have much to discuss".

Huilen looked uncomfortable at the request, "While I greatly thank you for your…kind offer, we are uneasy when not back home in South America".

"Of course. The Volturi will always have its doors open for you," Marcus replied, "I do wish we could have our discussions sooner rather than later though. We would like to gather as much information about the vampire who seduced your sister and your mother Pire".

Rosalie's grip on Emmett tightened, "So the Volturi did know of their existence".

Emmett also pulled his wife tighter into his hold, "Don't worry babe, this is almost over".

"How…how did you know the name of my sister?" Huilen asked in shock.

"Like I said, we have much to discuss," Marcus replied simply.

Huilen and the male hybrid looked at each other and had a silent conversation before the male said, "We would be honoured to accept your invitation and come with you to Volterra to further discuss this topic".

"Somehow," Garrett began, "I think we're going to be okay".

Kate smiled and wrapped her hand around Garrett's, "You're right. We've proven to the Volturi that no crime has been committed and their attention has been drawn elsewhere".

"I would like to report a crime before you leave," Bella called out.

* * *

_The next few months flew by. Between school and hanging out with my friends, time seemed to pass by quicker than I would have liked. Bella had started a thing with Edward, which I was by no means pleased about but put aside my distain and supported her. If I wasn't hanging out with Angela (and unfortunately by default Jess, who while she had slightly warmed to me, I still don't think she liked me very much), I was down at La Push with the boys. It was one of those rare sunny days in La Push that the guys and I decided to head to the beach. It was there I had the great displeasure of meeting Sam and his 'cult' as Jake referred to them as or 'hall monitors on steroids' as Em so affectionately put it. Myself and the boys were having a picnic on the beach when Paul had charged over and said I didn't belong here and why I would let my sister date a leech. This triggered a massive argument between Paul and the boys. I was quite taken aback by Paul's actions as he was completely different to the guy I spoke to at the Christmas party. What was really weird though was Sam and Jared came charging out of nowhere and dragged Paul away, I mean, it never came to physical violence but it was intense. I've not seen Sam and his 'cult' since then and I was quite content with that. It was after that experience that my crush on Paul definitely disappeared._

" _Meat lovers pizza or Hawaiian pizza?" Dad asked as he pulled out the two frozen pizzas._

" _Oh," I hummed, "That's a tough choice Dad. Let's go…Hawaiian"._

_Dad chuckled as he put the meat lovers pizza back in the freezer and started to unbox the Hawaiian pizza, "Hawaiian, was there ever really any doubt?"._

" _Hawaiian pizza is a staple for our movie nights. I just hoped Bella was going to ditch Edward and spend one with us," I sighed in disappointment as I continued to look through the movies, "Horror or drama?"._

_Dad hummed in agreement, "Just wait until you get a boyfriend Lottie and then I'll never see you as well. Let's do horror. I don't want any more drama. Two teenage girls is enough drama for me"._

_I gasped at him in shock, "And miss our weekly movie night? Don't be ridiculous Dad!"._

_Suddenly the front door slammed opened, "Edward! I said leave me alone!". Bella's shouting caused Dad and I to jump._

" _So much for no drama," I said as Dad and I quickly entered the hallway where the front door was._

" _Bella don't do this please," Edward begged just as Bella slammed the door in his face._

" _It's over," Bella screamed, "Get out!". She stomped up the stairs and I was right on her heels._

" _Bella what happened?" I asked._

_Bella slammed her bedroom door opened and slammed it shut before I could enter, "I just gotta get out of here. I'm leaving now"._

" _What?" I managed to spit out and started slamming on her door, "Let me in Bella! Let's talk about this. Edward freaking Cullen is not worth you leaving Forks over!". It was by then Dad had made it up the staircase and heard my comment. He looked very uncomfortable about the situation and I didn't blame him, Dad always made himself scarce when Bella and I got into fights and even he knew things were about to blow up._

" _Bella please!" I begged, "Open the door, we'll sit down, we'll talk things through like we always do". She opened the door and pushed me aside as she charged into the bathroom with a duffle bag._

" _Did he hurt you?" Dad questioned._

_Bella opened the cabinet and began putting her toiletries into the bag, "No"._

" _Did you break up with him or he break up with you?" I asked, desperately trying to get answers from her, "Bella please speak to me"._

" _No," Bella zipped past me out of the bathroom, "I broke up with him". She re-entered her bedroom and slammed the door shut._

" _I thought you liked him," Dad tried. It made my heart clench._

_Bella remerged from her room with her coat and duffle bag, "Yeah, that's why I have to leave. I don't want this. I have to go home"._

" _Bella! You're not making any sense. Let's sit down have a cup of tea and talk about this," I panicked as she grabbed a few more items from the bathroom, "Mum's not even in Phoenix"._

" _She'll come home. I'll call her from the road," Bella justified as she stormed passed me down the stairs. I followed her once again. While Bella was in the kitchen getting whatever it was she needed, I quickly got the car keys from the rack in the hallway._

_Dad, always the voice of reason, said, "You're not gonna drive home right now. You can sleep on it. If you still feel like going in the morning, I'll take you to the airport"._

" _No! I want to drive, it'll give me more time to think," Bella said as she entered the hallway and began looking for the keys, "I mean if I get really tired I'll pull into a motel I promise. Where are the keys Charlotte?". Dad entered the hallway now just as Bella and I were having a Mexican standoff over the keys._

" _Look Bella. I know I'm not that much fun to be around but I can change that. We can do more stuff together," Dad said as his voice began to break, trying to keep the emotions at bay causing my heart to clench even more._

" _Bella-," I began before she interrupted me._

" _Like what? Like watch baseball on the flat-screen? Eat at the diner every night? Steak and cobbler? Dad that's you, that's not me"._

_She was going too far, "Bella! Don't you dare make this about Dad!"._

_Her head turned to me, "What about you Lottie? Your with the boys practically more than your with me. Ever since we came here we're not as close"._

" _That's not fair Bella," I began, "Your always invited-"._

_She interrupted me once more, "I always say no! Did it never occur to you that I didn't want to hang out with your friends? I only wanted to hang with my twin. You've practically pushed me aside to spend time with your new friends. From the boys to Angela, even Jess! You literally abandoned me!". I was rendered speechless by her words. She used my shock to grab the keys from my hand._

" _Bella," Dad choked out, "I…I just got you back"._

" _Yeah and you know, if I don't get out now then I'm just gonna be stuck here like mum," she said as she opened the front door and slammed it shut. Her harsh words seemed to knock some sense back into me as I pushed past dad and opened the front door as Bella charged towards her car._

" _I'm sorry Bella," I shouted at her, "I'll, I'll stop hanging out with them and hang out more with you! Just please don't leave or at least let me drive you!"._

_Bella paused for a moment before she turned to look at me, "You've not cared all this time Lottie so don't pretend you do now! Some twin you are!". I was taken aback by her words and didn't know what to say. I felt tears come to my eyes as I watched my twin dump her belongings in the back of the truck and jump in. I felt Dad come up behind me and place his hand on my shoulder as we watched Bella pull out and drive away. I brought my hand up and placed it on his._

" _Dad," I whimpered as I felt the tears starting to finally fall, "You're doing a damn good job"._

_The rest of the night and the next few hours passed by in a blur. Bella wasn't answering any of mine or Dad's calls. It was many hours later when I finally received a call from Mum who had an update about Bella._

" _Edward and his dad came to visit Bella to convince her to come back to Forks," Mum began, "She went over to their hotel and tripped. She bloody fell down two flights of stairs and went through a window". Dad and I were on the next flight to Phoenix._

" _I don't know whether I'm shocked or impressed that she managed to fall down two flights of stairs and through a bloody window," I said to Dad as he drove slightly (very much so) above the speed limit in the rental car to the hospital._

_Dad sighed as his hands grip the steering wheel nervously, "Your sister certainly has a talent that's for sure". We parked in the hospital parking and made our way inside the hospital towards the room number Mum said Bella was in. We arrived at the room and Edward was standing outside. Dad shot him a glare and entered the room but I chose to stay._

" _Lottie," Edward began before I interrupted._

" _Charlotte," I said rudely, "Only my friends call me Lottie"._

_Edward smiled politely, "My apologies, Charlotte. My intention was never for your sister to get hurt-"._

_I held my hand up and interrupted him again, "I'm going to stop you right there Edward. I'm sure you're a lovely guy but to be honest, I don't think your good enough for my sister. If she chooses to continue to date you, I don't know why though, I look forward to seeing you squirm to show me that your worth her attention". I walked passed him without another word into Bella's hospital room._

_Dad grinned upon seeing me, "Give him hell?"._

_I smirked, "Don't you know it". The next few days flew pass in a blur. Between Bella arriving home and us preparing for the homecoming dance, it was a whirlwind few days. Things between Bella and I were…awkward to say the least. While she had apologised for her words and reassured me she didn't mean then, some part of me felt that she had indeed. It was the afternoon of the homecoming ball and I was determined to end the awkwardness that had developed between us._

_I knocked on the bathroom door as I watched her struggle with the wand curl, "Need some help?"._

" _Can you tell I'm struggling?" she joked._

_I smiled at her and signalled her to pass me the wand, "This might be easier in your room where you can sit down". My twin and I made our way into her room, though Bella did struggle a bit with her foot being in a cast, and awkwardly sat down on her desk chair. I plugged the wand curl in and started to curl my sister's hair. For the first time in many weeks, there was a comfortable silence between us._

" _What dress are you going to wear?" I asked as I curled another piece of her hair._

_Bella smiled, "Alice lent me a blue dress. It's laying on the bed". I looked over my shoulder and saw a beautiful tiered blue coloured sleeveless dress._

" _That's gorgeous. It'll look stunning on you," I told my twin._

" _What are you going to wear?" Bella asked._

_I carefully curled another piece of her hair, "I'm going to wear that gold dress I bought just before we came to Forks. I haven't had a chance to wear it"._

" _That will be so nice," Bella commented. Before my sister and I moved to Forks, mum and I went on a shopping trip. I had come across a striking gold dress. The dress had full length sleeves with a plunging neckline and a tiered skirt. It had reminded me of a 1920's flapper dress and I absolutely loved it!_

_I finished curling her last section of hair, "All done! How are you going to do your makeup?"._

_Bella shifted in the chair, "I wasn't really sure. You know I'm not good with that stuff"._

" _I can help if you'd like," I offered. This was the first normal interaction Bella and I had had for ages. Things were starting to feel as if they were going back to normal and I was desperate to continue it._

" _That would be amazing if you could," Bella thanked. I quickly ran into the bathroom and pulled out a bag full of makeup. I walked back into Bella's room and saw that she had managed to spin herself around so she was looking at me._

" _Sorry!" I apologised as I poured the contents of the bag over her bed, "I want to see what makeup we have". I shifted through the various makeup products and pulled out a blue themed eyeshadow pallet along with eyeliner, mascara, blush, foundation and a pale pink lipstick._

" _Alright," I smiled as I picked up a foundation brush, "Close your eyes". Once again, we both fell into a comfortable silence as I applied her makeup. It was like nothing had ever happened between us._

" _I've missed this," Bella broke the quiet._

" _Me too," I admitted._

_Bella frowned, "Lottie, I'm so sorry for what I said. I honestly cannot apologise enough. I was hurt and I took it out on you and Dad. You're an amazing twin, I'm so lucky to have you"._

_I stopped applying her makeup so I could really look at her, "And as I've said countless times, I forgive you…I just…I just need to remind myself that you didn't mean it and I'm not spending too much time with my friends"._

" _You spend plenty of time with me," Bella assured me, "You don't need to change anything about you or who you spend time with. I was just mad and unleashed on you which wasn't fair"._

_I smiled at Bella and continued to apply her makeup, "All is forgiven. Now hush, I'm just about done"._

_I put the finishing touches on her makeup and smiled at the finished product, "You're all done! Did you need help getting into your dress?"._

" _No thank you. I'll struggle into it…or fall into it," Bella poked fun at her own clumsiness, "Besides, you need to get ready as well". I looked at the time and cursed when I saw how little of it I had left. I grabbed some makeup from Bella's bed and dashed into the bathroom to start applying it._

" _Is Edward taking you still?" I called out as I carefully started applying my eyeshadow._

" _He is," she responded, "Are one of the boys taking you?". I didn't immediately respond as I ever so carefully applied my eyeliner. Determined not to look like a panda on steroids._

" _Em is," I replied once I was satisfied that the eyeliner looked the same on both eyes, "He won the rock, scissor, paper battle out of the three of them…though I wouldn't be surprised if Jake and Q come and crash the party at some point". I ran a brush through my hair as I heard a knock on the door._

" _Damn it," I cursed softly, "Up in a bun you go". I twirled my hair and pinned it up before dashing to my room and quickly getting dressed. I exited my room just as I heard Edward say, "I'll take care of her Chief Swan"._

_I had to restrain my laughter as I walked down the stairs and heard Dad respond, "Uh-huh. I've heard that before"._

" _Edward," I greeted politely._

_He smiled at me, "You look very nice Lottie"._

" _Don't be ridiculous," Em said as he emerged from the kitchen looking very dapper in his suit, "She looks amazing!"._

_I quickly went over and hugged him, "Well don't you look very nice Mr Call"._

_Em grinned cheekily and pulled himself away as he pulled out a gold coloured corsage, "For my stunning date"._

" _Alright, you all better get a move on," Dad said as he hurried the boys out the door and turned to us as he whispered, "I put a new can of pepper spray in both your bags"._

" _Thanks Dad," I smiled at his protectiveness, "I'll be sure to use it if required"._

_Dad looked very pleased with himself over that remark but he sobered a bit and looked at us, "You both look so beautiful"._

* * *

Edward watched as his mate's eyes remained fixated on the mysterious Volturi vampire who had come several weeks before.

"Edward," Bella began, "Didn't you mention about a law around vampires trespassing on the property of other vampires".

Edward didn't reply for several moments as he watched the exchange between the hybrid and the Volturi, "There is but Bella…are you sure you want to bring this up with the Volturi? They're about to leave and we can finally be at peace".

"That's exactly why we need to do something Edward," Bella explained, "Everyone fears them too much to call them out on it. She has a shield. We didn't even know she was there until she lowered it. She could come back and we would be none the wiser".

Edward hesitated, "I love you Bella. I'll support you no matter what you do".

"Trust me," Bella quickly kissed his lips, "This is the right thing to do". Bella watched as the Volturi ready themselves to leave with the hybrid and his guardian.

"I would like to report a crime before you leave," Bella called out. The other Cullens and their witnesses looked at Bella in shock.

"What the hell do you think your doing?" Rosalie hissed as the Volturi's attention turned back onto the Cullens, "They were about to leave".

Aro turned his attention away from the two foreign vampires to Bella, "Oh dear! What crime has been committed Bella?". Carlisle also looked at his daughter-in-law in horror and signalled for her to stop but Bella continued despite the warning.

"There is a law around vampires trespassing on the property of other vampires correct?" Bella asked.

"That is correct," Caius responded as a wicked smirk appeared on his face.

Garrett shifted nervously, "Anyone freaked out by how happy Caius looks?".

"Then I would like to report that one of your guards trespassed on our land without asking for permission first or introducing themselves," Bella then pointed at a cloaked form standing in the Volturi guard, "It was that vampire there". Tension once again filled the air while the Cullens and their witnesses silently watched the scene unfolding in front of them.

"She's going to get us killed," Kate hissed at Tanya and Garrett.

"We'll leave before a fight breaks out," Tanya responded calmly, "We agreed to act as witnesses, not point fingers at the Volturi".

Aro hummed, "You are right Isabella however there are expectations to that rule".

"Correct me if I'm wrong Aro but being a Volturi guard is not an exception," Edward chined in with his mate. If Carlisle didn't looked freaked out before, he certainly was now. The Cullens' witnesses shifted nervously as well. They were preparing to vacate very quickly if a fight broke out.

"My apologies Aro. Edward and Bella do not intend to follow through with their accusation," Carlisle quickly intervened.

"Thank heavens," Carmen sighed in relief.

"No, we fully intend too," Edward said as he wrapped his hand around Bella's, "We want the vampire held accountable for their actions".

"Just like that," Garrett began, "We are going to die. The Volturi are bloody protective of their guards…particularly the skilled ones". The mysterious scent filled the field again, signalling the shield user had dropped her barrier.

"You are indeed right Mrs Cullen that it is forbidden for a vampire to cross onto your land without permission or making themselves known," the mysterious female began, "However as my mate Aro stated, there is an exception to the rule".

"Fuck," Garrett cursed, "She's his freaking mate!".

Kate looked at Tanya in panic, "We need to go now".

"That moron," Rosalie hissed to Emmett, "Now there's going to be a fight for sure". The shapeshifters started to pace as well. Every animal instinct in them screaming about how dangerous the situation had become.

"Being related by blood to one of the vampires of the coven," the vampire lifted her hands up and slowly pulled her hood down to reveal a very familiar face, "Is the exception".

Stunned silence.

"L-Lottie?".

* * *

**Hi everyone!**

**As always, thank you so much for your support!**

**I was hoping to get this chapter out sooner but as you could probably tell by the length, I just kept writing and writing. I've had a few people ask whether this will be continuing after the conformation and I can confirm that yes it will be. I have one more story arc lined up which I am so excited to share with you all!**

**The next chapter will finally have the long-awaited confrontation! Thank you all so much for your patience.**

**Stay safe xxx**


	13. Chapter 13

"L-Lottie?" Bella asked in disbelief as I watched her study me, "Y-You're alive".

"I am," I replied bluntly. Every lesson my mates had taught me at the forefront of my mind. I was a leader of the Volturi. This was my first official introduction to the outside vampire world and I was determined to make my mates proud. I refused to be considered the weak link amongst my mates.

I watched as my twin's eyes filled with anger as her eyes roamed over the cloaked figures of the Volturi, "But they said…they said you were dead!".

"I would suggest that anyone who doesn't want to get involved in this…family matter…should leave now," I called out to the Cullens' witnesses. It appeared none of them needed to be told twice as I watched all the witnesses leave, meaning only the Cullens and shapeshifters were left in the field.

I turned to the hybrid and Huilen, "Demetri and Felix will escort you back to Volterra. Please make yourselves at home, we will be along shortly". The two foreign vampires were smart enough to know that it wasn't a request, it was an order.

"Lead the way," the male hybrid smiled politely. I watched as the two disappeared along with the cloaked figures of Demetri and Felix.

"Jane and Alec, you both stay. The rest of you can wait nearby. We will be done shortly," I ordered the remainder of the guards. The other guards quickly left while the two cloaked forms of Jane and Alec remained. I looked at my mates and Aro nodded his head slightly, signalling that I had handled the situation well and how the rest of it unfolded was up to me. An eerie silence fell over the field. The Cullens and shapeshifters stared at me in disbelief while my mates, Jane, Alec and I stared right back at them completely unfazed. I could hear snippets of conversations that was happening amongst the Cullens but they quickly stopped when Bella shouted.

"She said they killed you," Bella broke the silence, "She said it was a mercy!". My eyes lazily surveyed the Cullens and the shapeshifters before they landed on my twin.

I studied her for several moments, only really now noticing the subtle differences since she had become a vampire, "The Volturi are under no obligation to answer your questions. It was a curtsey that Jane even told you that".

"But you're my sister!" Bella hissed, "Why didn't you come? You would have known about the Cullens being vampires! We could have helped you! Just because he's your mate-".

"Mates," I interrupted.

This seemed to completely throw her, "M-Mates?".

"Mates," I confirmed as I watched in glee as the Cullens started to squirm, "My wonderful mates, Aro, Caius and Marcus". The sheer panic that appeared on every Cullen's face except Bella was priceless. It made me truly appreciate having a vampire memory, I would never forget how shocked and worried they looked. They knew they were treading on very dangerous territory and with Bella struggling to maintain her composure, even they knew this was going to potentially go very, very bad.

I watched with interest as Bella seemed to struggle even more to process what I had just told her, "That's impossible. You're not Lottie! You're not my twin! You can't be! She would never do this to me!". I raised my eyebrow at Bella's behaviour.

"It appears Mrs Cullen is struggling to cope with you being alive," Marcus noted as he moved closer to me, "Tread carefully i kardiá mou, your sister is dancing with madness".

I hummed in acknowledgment at his comment, "Is her behaviour normal?".

"For a newborn, yes," Caius softly piped in, "The news has overwhelmed her reasoning and her inner beast is taking over. She can be killed for threatening you if you so choose".

"Bella," I heard Edward warn her, "You need to calm down. As a newborn, you are more likely to be controlled by your emotions. You need to relax".

"Prove it!" Bella screamed at me, "Prove to me that you're my sister! Who did you have a crush on?".

I studied my twin carefully as it was becoming more and more apparent that she was descending into madness, "Paul".

My answer seemed to enrage Bella even more, "How could you not return? You became a vampire! You didn't die like we thought! Like I thought! I cried for you! I mourned you! At least tell Dad-".

"Do I have to remind you Bella that there is a law that no human can know of our existence?" I swiftly interrupted her rant, "You haven't told Dad what you are have you?".

Bella seemed to turn more animal like the further our conversation continued, "What if I did!".

"Because I would be most displeased if I had to kill our father because you couldn't follow the rules," I snapped back. I was so determined to make my mates proud but I refused to let Bella walk all over me. There were rules and the rules had to be followed. Why she thought she was exempt I had no idea. She was starting to behave like an unruly child and it was getting on my nerves. Her daughter for heavens sake was behaving better than her!

Bella looked shell shocked by my comment, "You…you would have really killed our dad? But you're a leader of the Volturi, you could-".

"It's because I'm the leader of the Volturi that I need too. There can't be one rule for us and another rule for others," I glared at my twin. Was she really that dense about this? Dread filled my being. Had she really told dad she was a vampire? If so, I knew as part of the law he would have to die…or turn into a vampire. I wasn't sure what was worse.

"Charlie knows nothing," Carlisle quickly assured myself and my mates, "He is none the wiser about vampires. He knows about shapeshifters but not of us. I promise you on my family lives, Charlie knows nothing about vampires". Internally, I sighed in relief. Externally, my facial expression didn't change.

"Good," I responded, "I'm glad that no laws have been broken".

"How can you be so unfazed by this?" Bella suddenly screamed at me, "You just threatened to kill our father!".

I looked at Bella in annoyance, "Correction. I was willing to uphold the rules that all vampires follow. Thankfully you were smart enough not to break them". I watched as Bella's eyes filled with fury as you could practically see her beast completely take over. My inner beast roared inside at the challenge and braced itself for a fight. However, unlike my sister, I pushed my beast down and kept in firm control of my thoughts and emotions. I would make my mates proud.

"Careful Bella," I warned her, "You won't win this fight". Reason seemed to leave Bella completely as she went to lunge at me but Edward quickly locked her arms around her waist, trapping her against his chest. I watched as cracks started to appear on Edward's body due to the squirming newborn in his arms.

"My apologies your highness," Edward managed to grunt out as Bella ramped her efforts up, "She is still learning to control her inner beast and this news…understandably is extremely shocking for her to process".

It was then I became aware that Caius was right beside me, he was shaking slightly in rage at the boldness of my twin's actions, "Watch yourself Cullen. We could have your wife killed for trying to attack a leader. Charlotte need only give the order". I opened my mouth to respond but hesitated for a moment. While I knew exactly what Caius wanted me to do, what order he wanted me to give…I couldn't bring myself to agree. She was still my sister…she was still my twin.

"Because I am merciful," I said as I watched Bella squirm in Edward's arm, "I believe our business here is done. No rules by either party have been broken. Leave. I can't promise my mates will be as understanding".

Bella roared, "Don't you dare Edward!".

"Mummy," I heard Renesmee whisper to her mum, "Please…can we go home?". Bella seemed to calm down slightly at this and stopped her struggling in Edward's arms. The Cullens shared concerned looks before they and the shapeshifters scattered…except the dark chocolate wolf and the greyish white wolf remained. I stared at the two wolves for several moments and watched curiously as the dark chocolate wolf started to slowly approach the Volturi. I saw the guards and my mates start to react from the corner of my eye and quickly signalled them to stand down. The wolf must have realised approaching in this form was causing unease amongst the vampires as seconds later, he shifted into the very familiar form, although be it naked, Quil.

"Quil," I greeted politely. I watched as tears filled his eyes and he continued to stagger forward through the snow towards me.

"Lottie," Quil whispered, "You're…you're alive".

"Do not attack," I warned the Volturi guards softly, "I trust him".

Caius hummed beside me as he watched the naked boy continue to stagger towards us, "I do not believe that is your call to make vasílissa mou".

"Well then," I promptly replied, "I'll take it out of your hands". I quickly dashed forward before Caius could stop me and stopped in front of my former friend. I had to keep my face in check as I almost reared back due to the horrible wet dog smell that penetrated my nostrils. Quil just stared deeply into my bright red eyes for several moments before I suddenly found myself engulfed in a hug from the naked teenager.

"You're alive!" Quil started to sob into my shoulder, "I'm just so bloody happy that you're alive!". I then felt another pair of arms wrap around Quil and another person crying.

"We're so sorry!" Embry apologised through his tears, "We should have told you everything! We should have bloody answered our phones that day so we could have saved you. It's our fault that you're like this".

With my vampire strength, I easily pulled my arms free and lightly squeezed each of their shoulder's in comfort, being very mindful of my strength, "It's not your fault. Please don't blame yourselves. This was my fate. I'm happy".

"B-B-But," Quil managed between sobs, "You're a v-vampire".

My heart clenched at the self-hatred I heard in Quil's voice, "I am…and despite how everything happened, I wouldn't change a thing".

"Please forgive us Lottie," Em continued to cry, "We failed you! We were your friends and we failed you!".

This time I pulled myself away from the two of them and cupped Em's face so he was forced to look into my eyes, "There is nothing to forgive. You both didn't do anything wrong".

"But if we had told you-," Quil began.

"Victoria would have still attacked and I would have still been kidnapped," I interrupted.

Em frowned as he's crying lessened a bit, "You would have been prepared-".

"How?" I once again interrupted, "Even knowing about vampires and shapeshifters, I was still human. I didn't stand a chance against Victoria and those newborns. Please don't beat yourselves up over something you had no control over".

"But…," Quil began as he choked on a sob, "What they did to you…that's forever on us".

I pulled my hands away from Em and placed them on Quil's cheeks, forcing him to look at me, "Did you break my bones?".

"No but-," both instantly replied.

"Did you rape me?" I continued.

Both the boys looked horrified, "No!".

"Did you watch in delight as I suffered and begged for mercy?" I asked again.

"No we didn't-," I interrupted the boys once more.

I pulled my hands away from Quil and smiled at the two, "Then what are you apologising for? You didn't hurt me and we established that one way or another, with the knowledge of vampires existing or not, I would have been kidnapped by Victoria. You both have nothing to apologise for…maybe for being a bit of a crappy friend and not telling me you were shapeshifters but again, I'm sure Sam probably forbid it…and completing Baby without me…that was pretty crappy".

"You're right. Sam gave an alpha order not to tell you so we couldn't…we physically couldn't. We actually did Baby up for you. It was going to be our apology gift once Sam gave us permission to tell you," Em whispered softly as he wiped away the last of his tears, "…you've always been too good for us Lottie". My heart warmed at the thought. The boys hadn't completed Baby to show that our friendship was over, they had completed Baby as my apology gift. I was so touched by that gesture. Baby was originally going to be sold and the profits split between us. Gifting Baby to me meant they were forgoing all of that.

I smiled cheerily, trying desperately to bring the mood up, "Of course I have been!".

"It's good to have you back Lottie," Q smiled as he too wiped some stray tears away.

"More importantly though," Em chuckled just like old times, "You had a crush on Paul?".

I laughed at Em's comment, "Oh gosh don't remind me. I never told you boys because I knew the amount of teasing I would get".

"You're not wrong," Q chipped in, "We would have given you hell for it! At least he didn't imprint on you". I looked at Q in confusion about what he meant by imprinting.

"It's like having a mate," Em quickly filled in upon seeing my confused face, "Sam imprinted on Emily, Jared imprinted on Kim, Jacob imprinted on Nessie".

"So…Jacob imprinted on Renesmee…I'm sure Bella would have loved that," I trailed off in amusement as I could just picture my sister's wrath.

Q smiled, "Oh it was! Though that's why Jake isn't here. Trust us when we say he wanted to be but because Bella is upset, Nessie wanted to stay with her mum and Jake wanted to stay with her".

"Might be for the better," I confessed, "Part of me is actually a bit relieved that Bella psyched out. I imagine once she calms down, she will come to Volterra and then we will have no choice but to have the awkward sit down".

Em chuckled as he pulled Quil into a one-arm hug, "Let's not bring the mood down. More importantly, this guy here failed to mention that he has imprinted too. It appears I'm the last eligible bachelor left".

I smiled at Q who looked embarrassed, "You imprinted?".

"I did. Claire Young. She's the niece of Emily. She's only a toddler so obviously there are no romantic feelings there at all. I just…I'll be whatever she needs me to be. I just want her to be happy," Q confessed.

"I'm so happy for you Q," I told him, "You realise being a toddler she's going to come to you for everything when her parents say no?".

Em snorted in amusement while Q somehow even managed to look further embarrassed, "It's already happened. Claire knows he's wrapped around her little finger".

"I hope you find your imprint soon Em. You deserve to be happy too," I pulled him into a hug, which was quite easy to do with my vampire strength.

"We're…we're never going to see you again are we?" Q asked as Em and I pulled away from our hug.

"Not likely," I responded truthfully, "My home is in Volterra with my mates and my coven".

Em shifted uncomfortably as he looked at myself, then my mates and then back to me, "Do…do they make you happy?".

I smiled at him, "More than I could have ever thought possible".

Em nodded to himself, "Good…because I would have to beat them up otherwise". I heard Caius scoff in the distance and it sounded like he muttered something along the lines of, 'As if I would be bested by that oversized door mat'.

"Your dad," Q blurted out suddenly, "He's dating Sue Clearwater. He's happy. He's really happy. She's helping him overcome your loss and he's helping her overcome the loss of her husband". If I had a heart, I'm sure it would have burst with happiness upon hearing that. I never got to say goodbye to my dad. When the time came, Bella would have the opportunity to do so. It would take many years before I got over that bitterness but I was so happy to hear that dad was moving on from my 'death'.

I smiled gratefully at Q, "Thank you for telling me that". The three of us stood silently, unsure of what to say next. Realistically, this would probably be the last time I ever saw Embry and Quil. With Jacob being Renesmee's mate and her longer life span…and the Cullen's ability to get in trouble, I would see them again in the future. My two friends who were mated to humans? Unlikely.

"One last group hug?" I forced myself to smile despite my heart clenching in pain over the loss of our friendship. The boys brawled into my arms. If I was human, I had no doubt I would have been knocked to the ground. As a vampire, I stood strong and easily dealt with the additional weight. We hugged each other for what must have been hours before I reluctantly pulled away.

"Goodbye Em. Goodbye Q," I whispered as I watched another round of tears fall from their faces.

"Goodbye your royal highness," Em teased as he wiped his tears away, "You best keep those vampires in line".

"Have you met our Lottie? Of course she'll keep them in line," Quil choked back a sob as he too wiped his tears away, "Goodbye Lottie". I had no doubts that if I could cry, I would be a sobbing mess. I smiled at the boys one last time before I ran into the forest, trying to put as much distance between myself and my friends as possible. I crashed into a pair of one of my mate's arms and, I didn't even care who it was, I buried my head into their chest and started crying. I knew no tears were coming out but I had to release the ache in my chest somehow.

"It'll be okay i kardiá mou," Marcus comforted me as he squeezed me tightly in his arms, "It'll be okay".

I pulled my head away from his chest and looked at my mate, another sob working its way up my throat, "Let's go home. I want to go home".

Sulpicia didn't know how long she had been wondering for. Ever since Aro had broken the news to her that he had found his mate and her services were no longer required, her world had shattered. She had given everything to him. He had courted her when he was a vampire and she but a human. She had lost her humanity for him. They had spent centuries together. While Sulpicia knew she wasn't his mate, she thought he had loved her like one. When Aro's mate did finally arrive, Sulpicia was discarded instantly. She envied how Athenodora took the news in stride and seemingly moved on with her life without issue. Sulpicia couldn't do that though. Aro had been her world and her being for so long…she had no idea what to do without his presence.

"Sulpicia?" a voice called out. The dark-haired beauty stopped upon hearing her name for the first time in who knows how long. It was only then that Sulpicia realised that her wondering had led her to an overgrown swamp in the middle of nowhere.

'Maybe I am in the Amazon?' Sulpicia thought, 'I had always wanted to visit so perhaps in my trance I travelled there'.

"Who wants to know?" she asked as she turned around and saw a blonde-haired vampire who she had never seen before.

Sulpicia's eyes narrowed as the mysterious vampire's scent filled her nose, "What are you? You smell vampire…and yet don't at the same time".

The mysterious blonde smiled, "My name is Serena. I came on behalf of my father, Joham".

"Never heard of him," Sulpicia replied bluntly.

"It means he did his job well then," the young woman replied, completely unfazed by Sulpicia's rudeness, "Hiding from the Volturi is certainly not an easy feat".

Sulpicia crossed her arms as she watched the vampire before her in disinterest, "So what does this mysterious Joham want?".

"He would like to meet you. My father believes you have a common enemy," she explained.

Sulpicia raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And who is this common enemy?".

"Charlotte Swan," she responded, "She took your mate away and ruined your life. She's the twin of the vampire my father has grievances with. He thought perhaps you could discuss bringing down the Swan family".

Sulpicia didn't immediately reply, "I suppose it doesn't hurt to hear what he has to say. After all, it would be very rude of me to say no when you've travelled all this way".

* * *

**Hello everyone!**

**As always, thank you for your support and stay safe xxx**


	14. Chapter 14

Marcus and I quickly arrived at the Seattle airport where we made our way onto the awaiting private jet. Ahura greeted us as we entered and I was relieved to see that Aro and Caius had made themselves comfortable on the lounges while they waited for us. Jane and Alec bowed upon seeing us and quickly disappeared to another section of the plane so my mates and I could be alone. After confirming we didn't need anything else, Ahura too retreated to the cockpit to give us some privacy.

"Jane and Alec will accompany us on the journey home. I've sent the remainder of the guards back to the coven to prepare for our arrival," Caius explained the presence of the two elite guards. I nodded but my brain was struggling to really understand the circumstances. All I could think of was what had transpired between myself and my friends.

"My little swan," Aro greeted as he stood from his chair and held his arms open. It was like he could sense my distress and knew I just wanted a hug. I launched myself into Aro's arms and curled myself around him as best I could. My heart desperately trying to overcome the loss of my friendship with Em and Q. I was vaguely aware that Aro had returned to his chair and re-positioned me to a more comfortable position on his lap. His fingers lightly trailed up and down my arm as I continued to bury myself in his hold, wishing the world would swallow me up and make the pain in my chest go away. Who would have ever thought that the unofficial leader of the Volturi was such a cuddlier when he wanted to be.

"Well," I muttered as the plane took off, "What a way to end the year".

"You did so well vasílissa mou," Caius whispered as he sat beside Aro. I reached my hand out and wrapped it around Caius' hand, craving more contact with another one of my mates.

I hummed as I lightly squeezed Caius' hand, "I got lucky. I only had to break my friendship with Em and Q. Part of me is relieved that Bella psyched out. The other part is dreading the conversation that is to come. Bella will have time to process everything and will be more prepared for our next meeting".

Marcus took the seat across from us, "Mourn i kardiá mou. It will help you move on".

"I don't know how to," I confessed quietly, "I can't cry so…how can I mourn them?".

Marcus smiled softly at me, "Tell us, what were some of the antics you got up too". So I did. For the entire plane ride, I told my mates all the stories I could think of that had happened between my friends and I. Their ridiculous antics over my baking (more like who ate the most), our car restoration project and all the other teenage nonsense we got up too. It was only after the many hours of talking did I realise why Marcus had done this, how incredibly therapeutic it was for me. Talking about the happier times reminded me how lucky I was to even have them in the first place.

"Thank you to fos mou," I smiled at Marcus, "I really needed that".

Caius gently removed his hand from mine and cupped my cheek to look at him, "Rest assured vasílissa mou, the pain lessens over time".

I placed my hand over Caius' and smiled at him, "I know ma force. This experience will make me a better leader. Every vampire has experienced in some shape or form what I'm going through right now. I can empathise better".

Aro chuckled as his arms squeezed me slightly, "My little swan! I thought I was the most ambitious one out of us. Turning this into a learning experience, I'm so proud".

I chuckled at Aro's comment, "I learned from the best mio salvatore". I gently pulled myself away from Caius' grip and turned my attention fully back to Aro. I placed my hands on his cheeks and pressed my lips against his. Aro and I shared several small kisses before we pulled away and rested our foreheads against each other.

"Thank you for your support," I told my mates, "I honestly don't know what I would do without it".

"We are your mates i kardiá mou," Marcus comforted me, "Any problems or issues we face, we face together". I gently untangled myself from Aro's arms and pounced into Marcus' arms. I had once asked Marcus whether my clinginess or constant need for contact was normal for a newborn vampire. I was shocked when Marcus advised no. We had a lengthy discussion about why this could be. Marcus and I hypothesised that during the last few days of my human life, any physical contact I had…wasn't pleasant. After being turned into a vampire, my inner beast needed the constant reassurance that physical contact was good. Hence despite my best efforts, more often or not when I was alone with my mates, I was either in someone's arms or had physical contact in some shape or form with them. Marcus assured me that my clinginess would gradually decrease over the next few decades but I wasn't, and I don't think, my mates overly minded.

"Forgive my interruption," Ahura apologised as she entered our private section, "We will be landing shortly".

Aro smiled, "Thank you my dear". Ahura bowed and quickly made herself scarce. I was content to remain wrapped up in Marcus' arms.

"Why didn't we run home like the others?" I asked curiously. During my short time of being a vampire, I discovered that vampires had the ability, when running fast enough of course, to run on water.

Aro chuckled softly, "We are royalty my little swan. We have these luxuries so we may as well enjoy them".

Caius scoffed, "Honestly vasílissa mou, can you imagine Aro running across an ocean?". An image of Aro's distained face flashed in my head as I could perfectly picture his annoyance at trying to maintain his perfect image while running fast enough not to fall into the ocean…I could definitely see Caius' point as I licked my lips nervously to hold back a laugh.

"Little swan," Aro warned. He didn't need to read my thoughts to know exactly what I was thinking.

I raised my hands up innocently, "I said nothing".

"You didn't need to," Aro sighed, "Unfortunately I can see that Caius is hell bent on corrupting you".

Caius scoffed once more, "I believe we both know that's not true Aro. They always say you have to watch the quiet ones…isn't that right Marcus?".

I felt Marcus' arms tighten around me as he rested his chin on my shoulder and kissed my chin softly, "I assure you Caius, I have no idea what you are talking about".

* * *

After the plane landed in Volterra, my mates and I quickly made our way back to Volturi. Before we met with the hybrid, who's name I would later learn was Nahuel, and Huilen, we changed from our cloaks into more suitable attire for royalty of the vampire world. I wore a sleeveless, halter neck dark red dress that reached my ankles that had a low cut back. My mates wore their usual royal attire which made my inner beast purr at the reminder of the status we had and the power my mates possessed. The meeting with Nahuel and Huilen didn't last long. It was obvious that the Volturi coven was the last place these two vampires wanted to be. Despite the shortness, the meeting was extremely productive. They had confirmed the events of the journal as well as gave us the name of this mysterious vampire.

"Joham?" Aro asked as he listened to Nahuel speak, "I have not had the pleasure of meeting him".

Nahuel looked uncomfortable at Aro's comment, "You're not missing out on anything…that vampire…there is nothing pleasant about him". Huilen didn't say anything but it was evident from her face that she agreed with her nephew.

The hybrid appeared to hesitate over his next words, "I've heard the Volturi are ruthless and are merciless".

"Of course," Caius instantly responded, "How do you think we have maintained power for all these years".

"But we are just," I quickly added, "All those who have faced the Volturi's justice have had it coming". Despite my best to reassure the hybrid, he still looked hesitant to speak whatever he was going to.

"I can see you have several strong bonds apart from your Aunt," Marcus commented softly, "Is this the cause of your hesitation?".

Nahuel looked troubled but eventually nodded, "I may not see eye to eye with them…but they are family…and I don't want them hurt".

I smiled at Nahuel and placed my hand over his in comfort, "I understand. Isabella Swan, the mother of Renesmee, is my twin. After you left, she tried to attack me. That in itself is punishable by death. However, like you said. Family is family. They didn't ask for the life your father bestowed on them and we will keep that in mind". Nahuel's gaze looked at my hand before he slowly looked at me.

"I was not the first turned," Nahuel confessed, "Serena, my older half-sister. The first of Joham's hybrids. She…she is too much like my father for my liking. Maysun, my next older half-sister. Not as corrupted in my father's ways as Serena. Jennifer is the latest addition". I noted that he didn't elaborate any further on Jennifer.

'I'm going to say she's his favourite based on that,' I thought.

"When did you last have contact with him?" Aro asked.

Nahuel slowly drew his gaze away from mine and looked at Aro, "It's been several years. I don't like my father so he normally sends one of my sisters to soften me up".

"Are you able to contact them?" Caius continued the questioning.

Nahuel shook his head, "No. They normally come to me. My Aunt and I stay in the jungle. From what I've gathered from my sisters, they normally relocate every few years. They've been paranoid for several decades that you've been onto them".

'Great,' I thought grimly, 'The only thing worst then trying to track a vampire in hiding is a paranoid vampire in hiding'. The conversation wrapped up shortly after that with Huilen and Nahuel eager to return home. We said our goodbyes as well as giving a _gentle_ reminder that they should contact us should any of his sisters or Joham make contact with him. Aro and Caius had to attend to some last-minute duties so Marcus and I decided to enjoy what was left of the 31st of December in my room.

"Well," I trailed off as Marcus and I entered my bedroom suite, "That was an interesting conversation".

Marcus hummed in agreement, "Joham has been busy".

"The existence of three other hybrids…how is that even possible?" I asked as I laid on my bed and stretched out like a cat, "Renesmee was born because Edward and Bella were mates. Surely all those women couldn't be his mate?". I rolled over onto my stomach as I rested my head on one of my many pillows. While a vampire didn't need to sleep, it was always nice to relax and pretend I could. Sleeping was one of my favourite past times as a human…a typical teenager really.

Marcus laid beside me and I felt him lightly run his fingers up and down my exposed back, "Why would it be so different to us i kardiá mou?".

I shivered as his fingers continued to dance across my spine, "Fair enough but wouldn't the thought of his mate dying drive the fear in him to never do it again?".

"It could be his power," Caius commented as he entered the room. I felt the bed dept to my other side as Caius joined Marcus and I on the bed.

"What? Super sperm?" I joked. Caius chuckled softly at my response and I felt his hand follow Marcus' action and draw small circles with his fingers on my arm.

"I must confess," Aro announced his presence, I hadn't even heard him enter, "This is quite a pleasant sight".

"You would be proud of us brother," Marcus smirked, "We were discussing whether these women were Joham's mates or if these hybrids were a result of his ability…super sperm as our darling mate put it".

Caius chuckled darkly, "Political talk in bed? It's your ideal fantasy coming to life Aro".

I turned my head and smiled cheekily at Caius, "At least it's a normal fantasy compared to some". Suddenly, I found myself flipped over with Caius' body covering mine. He had gathered my hands easily in one of his and pinned them above my head.

"Don't be naughty," he lectured as I watched his eyes darken with lust. My inner beast purred at his actions and begged to meet his challenge.

I somehow managed to take enough control back to form a response, "Or what ma force?".

"My dear little swan," I saw Aro approach from the corner of my eye but quickly turned my attention back to Caius when I heard him growl, "You should know that Caius is not one to be tested". A hand pinched my chin and forced my head to turn away from Caius to look into Aro's almost pitch-black eyes.

"He won't show you any mercy," Aro concluded, "Nor do I blame him". I suddenly found myself dragged out from underneath Caius and wrapped in a pair of arms, effectively trapping me to one of my mates' chest. Marcus had somehow quietly knelt at the top of the bed and used my trapped arms as a way to drag my upper body into his hold. Caius, obviously not wanting to hurt me, didn't put up a fight when I was taken from his hold. However, I was very aware that my legs remained under Caius' body while my upper half was trapped in Marcus' arms. There really wasn't much room between us.

"Shame on you brothers," I heard Marcus lecture as he slowly unwrapped one arm and it started lowering to a place that would be very inappropriate in public...thankfully we were in the sanctuary that was my room. When I first met my mates, I had concerns about Marcus' gentle nature and how our relationship dynamics would work with Aro and Caius. I quickly came to discover, that Marcus wasn't as innocent as he first led me to believe. Caius' eyes followed Marcus' hand as it made its journey downwards and if it was possible, I swear I would have saw him drool at the sight. Aro wasn't much better though. His eyes remained locked on mine and I couldn't help but lick my lips at the erotic sight. Aro prided himself on control and it was evident that he was very close to losing it.

Marcus' hand made contact with his destination causing me to gasp in shock as I hadn't been paying attention, "To fos mou!".

Marcus ignored me as he started to make wonderful use of his fingers over my clothed body, "We always share".

"I very much like this dress and would very much like it kept in one piece," I warned my mates as I saw their lustful stares…not that my warning did much good in the end.

* * *

It had been a month since the confrontation with the Cullens and my mates and I were focusing on how to best approach the hybrid situation. Demetri had been sent out to track down this vampire so he could be further questioned but had yet to be successful in his quest. My mates and I were sitting in the throne room and I sighed after Demetri reported his latest unsuccessful find.

"I still don't understand how this vampire can hide for so long," I groaned in annoyance.

Demetri bowed deeply, "I'm sorry to have failed you".

I waved off his apology, "You have nothing to apologise for Demetri. My mates and I know you would have done anything and everything possible to find this vampire".

Demetri looked uncomfortable at my words, "Still. I do not enjoy the feeling of failing you my Queen".

Caius hummed from the throne beside me, "Dismissed Demetri". Demetri pulled his hood up and vanished into the shadows that lurked in the corners of the throne room. It was usually where the elite guard stayed when protecting us in the throne room.

"Did you have to be so short with him?" I asked softly so only my mates could hear as I stared at the spot where Demetri once stood.

"You pamper them too much," Aro agreed with Caius.

I frowned, "Am I? I thought I was being fair".

Marcus smiled, "It's endearing. It certainly shows the guards how much you treasure them".

I sighed but made sure to keep my voice low so only my mates could hear "I know but I'm struggling to get the balance between coddling them and showing my appreciation".

"Rest assured my little swan," Aro comforted me with his words, "It's a talent you will learn over the years. It's not something that can be perfected overnight…no matter how much you wish it. Experience matters most on these type of matters".

"Your highnesses," Felix's cloaked figure appeared in front of us, "The Cullen coven have arrived. Edward and Isabella Cullen wish to be granted an audience".

Caius scoffed in annoyance, "How rude. Just to arrive and demand to see us".

"How delightful!" Aro clapped his hands together, "Have all the coven come?".

"Yes sir," Felix responded, "We have taken the coven members to the guest wing for the moment. Edward and Isabella were very determined to speak with you now though. Jane…was getting a bit trigger happy as a result". I had to resist the urge to groan as I was not looking forward to this conversation. Bella had time to think. She had time to analyse the situation and would have questions ready to go.

"You don't have to see them," Marcus commented softly as he watched me carefully.

"I know," I acknowledged, "But it'll probably be better if this conversation is over sooner rather then later".

I felt a familiar hand rest on my shoulder as Aro said, "We will support whatever decision you make little swan". I reached up and squeezed his hand slightly, thanking him for my mates' support.

"Let's get this over with," I muttered as Aro returned to his seat. Felix opened the doors and my twin and her husband walked in. Felix closed the doors and disappeared into the shadows lurking around the throne room where some of the other elite guard where waiting, curiously watching the scene unfolding before them.

"Bella," I greeted politely.

"Lottie," she replied bluntly. I watched her eyes study me and then briefly flash towards my mates before landing back on me. No one spoke for several minutes…realistically it could have been hours though. Bella had come into my house, she was in my territory. I was content to let her squirm. She could speak first. I was in absolutely no rush.

"I think we need to talk," Bella eventually said, "There's some things we need to discuss".

I hummed, "And what discussions are those?".

Bella shifted nervously as she looked between myself and my mates, "Could…could we chat in private?".

My eyes drifted from Bella to Edward and back to Bella, "Only if it's just the two of us. Of course, there will be a guard with us due to my leadership role within the Volturi". Bella looked very uncomfortable at the suggestion but eventually nodded.

I looked over to the hooded elite guards lurking in the shadows, "Felix, please escort my sister to the private library. I'll be along shortly". Felix's cloaked figure emerged and led a hesitant Bella from the throne room.

I looked at my sister's mate, "Alec, please escort Edward here back to his room".

"I'd rather wait here for my wife," Edward immediately responded.

My poker face remained in place, "You're more than welcome too Edward. Though, my mates are holding some meetings in the throne room and then I do believe it's mealtime after that. You of course are more than welcome to join".

Edward frowned in distaste, "…I'll wait in my room".

"That's what I thought," I commented softly so only my mates could hear. Caius chuckled at my sass while I could practically feel the amusement radiating off Aro and Marcus. I watched as Edward was escorted from the throne room and mentally braced myself for the conversation ahead with my twin.

I looked at my mates one last time before I left the room, "Please get me when it's mealtime. Heavens know I'll certainly need it by that stage".

* * *

**Hello everyone!**

**As always, thank you for your support and stay safe xxx**


	15. Chapter 15

"Fuck!" Serena cursed as the blonde-haired vampire ran through the trees towards a small inn hidden away in the thick forest. From the outside, the inn wasn't anything too special. It was an old thing that needed a fresh coat of paint as well as numerous restoration works. The perfect hideout away from prying human eyes. She managed to pry the door open before dashing inside and slamming it shut. She released a nervous sigh and rested against the door frame. Serena quickly surveyed the environment before her and was relieved to see her sister's familiar dark hair standing in the middle of the decaying foyer of the inn, looking very alarmed by Serena's dramatic entrance.

The inside of the inn was in far worst shape then the outside. Missing sections of floorboards that had been eaten away over the years and mould, among other things, covered the walls. The only area of the two-bedroom property that hadn't been completely overrun by nature was the basement. Whoever abandoned this property had at least the common sense to shut the basement up tight. While it still had some water damage and a bit of mould here and there, not that it mattered much to the health of the hybrids, it was in far better condition compared to the rest of the house. Most of the furniture was still intact and it was decent enough that their father approved. They had been based at the rotting inn for a few weeks now and knew it wouldn't be too long until their father moved the coven again. His paranoia about the Volturi finding him had always been bad but he was now on high alert after becoming aware that Nahuel had spoken to the coven. Normally, he would send either Maysun or Jennifer every few weeks to try and soften Nahuel up. However, he wasn't sure what the Volturi and his only son discussed and was not willing to risk the lives of his daughters. Their role too important in his plans.

"Serena?" her younger half-sister Maysun called out in concern at her sister's dishevelled appearance.

Serena released another shaky breath, "The Volturi's blood hound. He…he almost found us. The only way I escaped and threw him off track was because of that newborn vampire father turned a few days ago".

Maysun frowned as she processed the information her half-sister just told her, "…how close?".

"I'm pretty sure he caught my scent," the adrenaline seemed to be slowly leaving Serena as she started to compose herself, "Thankfully, that camper father turned a few days ago distracted him enough that I could get away. I never thought I would be so grateful to be half human".

Maysun nodded in agreement, "Your scent isn't as strong as a normal vampire. Let's hope the tracker lost it with the attack from the newborn".

Their younger half-sister Jennifer emerged from the basement after hearing the noise upstairs, "Serena! Is everything okay?".

"Fine," Serena replied instantly, "Is father here?".

The red-haired Jennifer shook her head, "No. He left a few hours ago. Something about checking the status".

"And Sulpicia?" Serena questioned further.

Jennifer shifted uncomfortably, "Still sedated". Serena carefully observed both her younger half-sisters. Maysun and Jennifer had expressed several times about their…displeasure…over the treatment of their father's guest. Their father had been studying vampires for many, many years and had discovered a way to put vampires into a coma of sorts. It was a dangerous procedure that was tricky to perform but after countless failures, he had mastered it. However, it caused the vampire to slowly fade away. Blood sustained a vampire. Being trapped within one's own body and not getting to drink meant their body slowly putrefied.

"Maysun," Serena ordered, "Cover Jennifer and go guard Sulpicia". Maysun nodded and headed down to the basement where their guest was currently in a comatose state.

Serena sighed as she could feel Jennifer's piercing stare at her, "Ask your question Jenny".

"Why can't we let her go? Father said he got the information he needed and there was no further use for her. It's not right," Jennifer blurted out before quickly covering her mouth with both hands. Jennifer had a bad habit of saying what was on her mind, no filter at all. It was probably one of the reasons that Nahuel adored her. He always knew where Jennifer stood, she was almost incapable of lying.

Serena sighed once more at her sister's kind nature, "She could warn the Volturi and then all of father's plans would be for nought".

Jennifer didn't seem pleased by Serena's answer, "I still don't understand his obsession. What's so important about this other hybrid?".

"She is the only other hybrid in the world. I want to know how she differs to my wonderful daughters…and if we play our hand right, a potential mate for Nahuel".

Jennifer froze upon hearing her father's voice. The two sisters turned to the back door of the property and saw their father standing in the doorway. His black hair was neatly combed back as usual, he wore his customary pitch-black cloak that hid his body but his eyes were now bright red unlike when the sisters saw him last. A visual confirmation that he stopped for a meal on the way home. While Jennifer didn't agree with her father, she knew better then to question him.

"Welcome back father," Serena greeted him warmly, "We had a run in with the Volturi's blood hound. He…he almost found us. Thankfully the camper you turned a few days ago distracted him enough that I was able to get away. I made sure he wasn't following before I came back here".

"Well done my first born. No matter now," Joham said as he entered the rundown inn, "The opportunity we have been waiting for has arrived. The Cullens have headed to Volturi and Renesmee is with them".

Serena nodded in understanding, "Is it time to execute the plan father?".

A wicked smirk appeared on Joham's face, "Correct my first born. Jenny, please go guard our guest. Maysun, please come here". Jennifer quickly went into the basement while Maysun quickly made her way upstairs. Both sisters knew that you didn't dare make father wait…his wrath was something neither wanted to be on the receiving end of.

"You both know the plan," Joham looked at each of his daughters, "I expect swift execution. Too early, the Volturi will know. Too late, the Volturi will know. This is our only opportunity. Do not disappoint me".

"Yes father," both sisters responded in unison. Joham grinned as he dashed into the basement and then returned shortly later with a small black box.

He opened the box for the sisters to reveal three needles that contained a milky liquid inside each, "If this hybrid is anything like you, two vials of drugs should be enough to knock her out. Use a third if you must but only if absolutely required".

He closed the box and handed it to Serena, "Bring her to our property in Rome. I'll be there waiting".

Both girls nodded again in understanding.

"Stick to the plan and do not fail me or I will be most…displeased".

* * *

The silence between Bella and I was the very definition of awkward. We were sitting opposite each other in the library, neither one of us making eye contact with the other. My twin didn't know what to say and I wasn't going to help her. She was going to be the one to start this conversation, not me. I was not going to apologise for making Bella or Edward uncomfortable. I still vividly remember Athenodora's lessons.

" _Lesson one," Athenodora purred as she sized me up, "A queen never apologizes"._

I kept glancing at the clock behind her and watched as the minutes continued to tick by without a word being said. At this stage, one of the guards would arrive shortly to let me know that it was mealtime.

" _Lesson two," Athenodora looked at me, "Treat every move like a game of chess, let your enemy show their cards first"._

As such, I refused to speak first.

"I'm sorry for the way I behaved," Bella suddenly broke the silence. I was a bit caught off guard by her sudden comment as my eyes snapped away from the clock back to her. I noticed that she wasn't looking at me, rather at the table in front of her.

"You're still a newborn. Emotions can still sometimes get the better of you," I responded, almost on auto-pilot. During my short time with the Volturi, I was starting to discover that newborns seemed to be causing most of our problems.

"Carlisle confirmed as much," Bella cringed.

Awkward silence.

"Nessie is looking forward to seeing you," Bella broke the silence again but continued to look at the table in front of her, refusing to meet my eyes. I wondered if my red eyes, though slightly dark because I was due for a feed, was a haunting reminder about the situation we found ourselves in.

I smiled, "That's nice".

Another awkward silence.

"Jake too," Bella eventually added but still continued to look at the table.

I looked at her in shock, "I'm surprised the guards let him into the coven".

"Well, he's not here. He's staying nearby in a hotel. We thought it best not to bring him into the coven," Bella slowly lifted her gaze and looked into my eyes.

"Smart," I noted, "He may be a shapeshifter but his presence would upset the coven".

More awkward silence.

"I'm going to be honest with you Lottie…I don't…I don't really know what to say," Bella confessed.

I didn't immediately respond, "I…I don't know either".

"I thought you were dead," Bella whispered, "I mourned you. We all mourned you".

I sighed and sarcastically responded, "What do you want me to say Bella? Surprise? I'm still alive?".

"You turned you?" Bella asked. I bit my tongue, gently reminding myself that Bella didn't truly understand what a personal question that was. Ever since becoming Queen, I had learnt that being turned was not always a pleasant experience for each vampire. You didn't ask who turned them unless they offered the information or unless absolutely necessary.

'Honestly,' I thought in dismay, 'What are the Cullens teaching her about manners?'.

"Bella," I began, "Be careful who you ask that question too. Not all vampires who are turned are done so willingly. It is considered quite rude if you do".

Bella looked surprised by my response, "Really? I…I had no idea".

"I'm gathering that," I responded, having to really resist the urge to call out the Cullens for their lack of education, "…it was Aro".

Bella looked even more surprised, "Aro? How? How did you end up going from America to Italy?". I stared at Bella in disbelief, did she really just forget the whole part of turning isn't a pleasant experience for every vampire so don't ask. Bella seemed to quickly catch on and muttered an apology.

"What do you think happened?" I turned the tables back on her. Part of me was very curious to hear what she had to say. Bella was still human when I was kidnapped by Victoria and her psycho newborns. I had no expectations that Bella could have participated in my _rescue mission_ but the Cullens on the other hand, how that unravelled I was interested in knowing.

Bella shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "The night of the graduation party. Jake, Embry and Quil had crashed the party and Alice had a vision that the newborns were coming to Forks…it was then that Jake and the other shapeshifters received the message from Paul and Jared that there were vampires at La Push…and that they had taken you. Jake and the others…they literally sprinted out of the house. The Cullens hot on their heels. They…they all really tried to save you Lottie". I stared at my sister. Bella had stopped talking, as if she was expecting me to say something to that.

"And then?" I questioned.

Bella frowned, "Lottie, they didn't abandon you. We didn't abandon you. They did everything they could to stop the vampires who kidnapped you but they were too fast. You know what newborns are like. I promise, they didn't abandon you".

"I didn't say they did abandon me," I snapped back, my patience starting to wear thin with my twin. My mates had helped me overcome a lot of the trauma I had experience in my last few days as a human. Having to re-open these wounds was not something I enjoyed doing. Bella expecting me to be grateful that the Cullens and the wolves had tried and failed was not something I could just do.

Bella flinched at my harshness and decided it might be best to continue her tale, "When they…lost track of the vampires. We re-grouped at the Cullens and began training for the upcoming battle while trying to figure out where they had taken you. Unfortunately, we couldn't figure it out and then the battle was suddenly upon us. The next plan was to capture one of the newborns and find out where the nest was. It was just after the battle and…that's when the Volturi had arrived and said they killed you. A mercy according to Jane…she said you were broken".

I lent back into my chair and silently sat there while I absorbed what my twin had told me. What does one say to that? Thank you for trying to find me? Why didn't you look harder? I was extremely conflicted as I could feel the bitterness rise within me. I didn't know how hard the Cullens looked. Part of me hope they searched nonstop but another part of me had my doubts over their commitment. Bella said they were training for the upcoming battle. Had they really searched or just accepted that I would have been killed or turned and not worth the trouble.

Bella must have realised my train of thought about the Cullens' and their _search_ efforts as she quickly added, "I saw maps of the area in Carlisle's office. He and Esme spent hours looking through them. Discussing where the nest could possibly be".

I tilted my head to the side at Bella's comment, "Just Carlisle and Esme?".

"W-W-Well no," Bella stuttered, "The others would participate as well when they weren't training". Somehow, I doubted that but I chose not to press any further. Technically the Cullens hadn't committed a crime. I was but a human…and nothing could change the past, I was a vampire now.

"The Volturi arrived you were saying?" I picked up where Bella left off.

Bella nodded as she drew her gaze away from mine and looked at the table, "…what happened to you Lottie? Why did you not return home?".

"At least have the decency to ask me those questions to my face," I demanded causing Bella's eyes to snap back to mine. Bella stared into my eyes and hesitated but asked the questions again. Despite all the time I had spent with my mates and their assistance in working through my trauma, images of the hell I suffered flashed before my eyes.

_"What did you do?" I whispered, "When the memories…just linger"._

_Athenodora didn't look away from the garden, "Vampires believe that with time, your human memories fade. Even after all these years, I still vividly remember what he did to me. How I overcame them? I created new ones. Ones so meaningful to me that they consumed the negative ones"._

_"And when the memories prevent you from doing that?" I confessed. Athenodora looked at me._

_"You remember that your human fell victim to them, not your vampire. The transformation process destroyed very piece of skin that they ever touched, every bruise, every mark…it was burned away. You rose from the ashes as a new being," Athenodora's eyes continued to drill into mine, "You don't survive, you thrive"._

And just like that, the flashbacks of my hell disappeared. Replaced by the images of Aro, Caius and Marcus. It made my heart fill with love. I reached out through my bonds with my mates and pushed as much love as I could through to them. They were my support network and I knew after my meeting with Bella, I would need to rely on their support once more. Immediately, I felt their love being pushed back into me. Sharing our emotions through our bonds had only been something I had recently learnt how to do. Marcus taught me and promised that once I got the hang of it, it would happen naturally. For the moment though, I had to really focus for it to happen. After the first training session, my mates must have had a better understanding as I was immediately bombarded by their feelings. Thankfully they realised it was quite overwhelming for me while I was struggling to shift through all the emotions. Ever since then, my mates had actively capped their feelings as to not overwhelm me again and would only open their emotions when I did first. Right now though, it was an incredible feeling. I basked in their love.

"Jane…she wasn't over exaggerating when she said I was broken," I eventually replied, "I'll leave it up to you to fill in the blanks however you want but I've closed that chapter in my life. I'm not re-opening that chapter Bella…not even for you". Bella slumped back in the chair and I watched the range of emotions that crossed my sister's face. Sadness, pain, anger, sorrow. I watched her silently as Bella processed what I had told her.

"After my transformation," I continued, "I received notification about my funeral. There was no way I could return to Forks when everyone thought I was dead. I was also a newborn. You know how overwhelming that blood lust can be. I was safer saying in Volterra with my mates. It gave me time to process everything and bond with them".

"I still don't understand how you came to be in Volterra," Bella whispered. It was almost like she was afraid that if she asked any questions, I would close up and say no more. Part of me wanted to because this whole thing was very private to me but I wanted this conversation to be the one and only time I speak of it with her.

"Because of my mirror ability, when Jane tried to attack me, it reflected back on her," I further elaborated, "It peaked her interest and I was brought back to the coven for the leaders to decide my fate. Aro turned me, Marcus saw our bonds and the rest is history".

Distress filled Bella's face, "I'm…I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry you went through this".

"The past cannot be change Bella," I replied bluntly, "I've moved on and I do not wish to dwell on it any longer. I will not speak on it again".

A tense silence filled the room.

"How did I die?" I asked.

Bella was snapped from her thoughts and looked at me in confusion, "What?".

"I received an invitation for my own funeral Bella," I reminded her, "How did I die?".

"The Cullens took the damaged truck when you first went missing. With the newborns lurking in Forks, I told dad we had gone camping. After the Volturi said…they had killed you, the Cullens staged the scene with the truck to make it look like you were in a car accident and had crashed over the barrier into the ocean," Bella explained, "It was the best way to provide closure for our family and friends without a body". I hummed at Bella's explanation. This whole situation felt surreal. I was sitting across from my twin talking about how my family and friends thought I died. My gaze drifted away from Bella's and once again landed on the clock behind her. I watched silently as the minutes continued to tick by.

"I heard you got accepted into CAKES," Bella suddenly said, causing my eyes to snap back to hers, "Well done, I'm really proud of you. I know how much it meant to you". I didn't know what to say to that. A few months ago, everything in my life was perfect…or as perfect as things could be. I had just graduated school, I got accepted into the culinary school of my dreams, I had an amazing family and, while the boys and I weren't talking at the moment, I still had some incredible friends. I had my whole life ahead of me before it was violently ripped away.

Bella must have sensed that what she said was inappropriate, "I'm sorry Lottie! I didn't mean to re-open wounds…I was just so proud of you. I know how hard that school was to get into. I know how hard you worked".

I continued to stare at my twin, my dark red eyes staring into her gold eyes, "Bella…I've closed the chapter of my last few human days alive. I don't want to further be reminded of what I missed out on. You can still see our family and friends. I cannot. You can stay in Forks while I can never return for several decades until I know for sure that any human who could have possibly known me has passed". Bella at least had the decency to look guilty and apologised once again.

My twin and I sat in silence for several minutes. It seemed to be the way of this meeting. We would chat for several minutes and then sit in silence for several more trying to figure out what to say next.

"I don't want to lose you Lottie. I already thought I did and…it destroyed me," Bella whispered, "How do I make this better? I…I want things to be back to normal".

I smiled sadly at my twin, "Things are never going to be normal Bella. We are both vampires, you have a child and I am vampire royalty".

Bella chuckled softly as she nodded in agreement, "You're right…things are really never going to be the same are they? How do we make this our new normal then?".

"Bella, you're my twin. I love you. No matter what has happened, I always will love you," I responded honestly, "Despite all the crap I've gone through, you are my twin…and will forever be my twin. In a few centuries when everyone we knew from our human life is no longer around, we'll still in a weird way have each other". Bella smiled and I swore that her eyes would have filled with tears if it was possible.

My twin opened her mouth to say something when I interrupted her, "In saying that though, I do need time".

"Why?" Bella asked in confusion.

It was difficult for me to admit this next part, "I love you Bella. I always will but…some part of me does resent you. While I do not wish to change my life because I couldn't imagine a day without my mates by my side, seeing you reminds me of everything I unwillingly lost. I lost dad, I lost mum, I lost my friends…I lost Em…I lost Q…and you lost nothing. You got everything. I was simply a casualty of a war I had no part of and didn't belong in. I just need time to…come to terms with how everything happened".

Bella looked hurt by my words, "I disagree with you Lottie. I lost our relationship and I've had to sacrifice other things as well".

"Our relationship can be repaired over time," I immediately responded, "This isn't a competition Bella about who's lost the most. I'm just telling you things from my perspective. I need time to move on. My mates and my coven are helping me do so. We will be sisters again. For the moment however, I need space". Bella drew her eyes away from mine and looked at the table in front of her. A frown appeared on Bella's face as I could practically see the clogs turning in her head and silence fell upon us. However, unlike previous times, this felt natural. It reminded me of the car rides to and from school where we just happily sat in silence. We didn't need to fill it, each other's presence was enough…it reminded me of happier times.

Bella must have sensed it too as she looked back at me, I could see that her eyes were filled with emotions, "Take as much time as you need. I'll only ever be a phone call away should you need anything".

"Thank you," I replied gratefully.

"Nessie, she really wants to meet you," Bella smiled at me, "She reminds me so much of you. She's actually started baking recently…not everything she's made so far has been editable but she does try". I was thankful we moved onto a safer conversation. I knew time would heal the wounds between myself and Bella. My bitterness and sense of betrayal by the Cullens and my sister would eventually go away I had no doubt about it but for the moment at least…it was too tender.

"Jake also wanted to see you as well," Bella added in passing as I watched her carefully study my reaction.

"We'll have to arrange a dinner. I know Renesmee can eat food so I'll cook her something. Being a family affair, I must insist that my mates join us as well. Because of my relationship with them and my relationship to you, the Cullens have become the second most powerful coven in the world," I began, "It would be best if we could at least be civil with each other. You know how important family is too me. I refuse to let it become my weakness". Bella looked uncomfortable at my suggestion but nodded regardless.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door and I heard Felix call out from behind the door, "Forgive my interruption my Queen but I have received word that it is almost mealtime".

"Thank you Felix," I replied as I stood from my seat.

"So…," Bella trailed off, "You drink human blood".

"I do," I replied instantly, "It's a natural part of the vampire diet. I don't question your vegetarian lifestyle. Rest assured Bella, everyone who we feed on deserves it".

Bella frowned, "But you're playing God. Deciding who lives and who dies…that's not right Lottie".

"Oh Bella, but we are Gods".

* * *

**Hello everyone!**

**As always, thank you for your support and stay safe xxx**


	16. Chapter 16

"That's her I'm pretty sure," Serena commented as her and Maysun sat on the edge of a fountain in the middle of a famous courtyard, Serena hadn't bothered to remember, in Volterra. They watched as a stunning female vampire wrapped in a dark velvet dress surveyed the crowd but unlike the intel from Sulpicia, she wasn't approaching tourist like they expected. It was the very reason why Serena and Maysun were dressed in the most touristy clothing possible with massive cameras around their necks to further emphasise this fact. Serena wore a cheesy 'I love Volterra' t-shirt with dark blue pants and some random American sports team cap while Maysun was wearing a straw hat, a cheesy 'I love Italy' t-shirt and black shorts. The female vampire spotted something of interest as she merged into the crowd and carefully made her way towards her target without stepping into the sunlight.

"What is she doing? I thought tourist was who they usually went for?" Maysun asked in confusion as she lifted the brim of her straw hat in order to better see the female vampire. The female vampire stopped in front of a young couple. Serena and Maysun watched the scene with interest as the young couple seemed to be locals of Volterra. Which according to Sulpicia, was a very big no-no. The female vampire exchanged words with the pair and it was only then, due to their enhanced eyesight, that they saw what others considered a loving embrace, was not so loving. The human male seemed to have a death grip on the female human and the sisters wouldn't have been surprised if there were going to be marks left on the female's skin as a result. The young female turned away from the vampire and the hybrids caught a glimpse of a black eye from behind the shades she was wearing.

"No prize for figuring out what he practices his punching on," Maysun muttered in disgust as she continued to watch the interaction. The male seemed to smile at whatever the vampire said and released the female human in his hold. The female vampire held her arm out and the male happily wrapped his arm around hers. What shocked Serena and Maysun though was how relieved the female human looked.

She re-adjusted her shirt now that she wasn't in the male's death grip and they caught a glimpse of bruises littering her arm. It didn't take a genius to work out that they were seeing evidence of a very abusive relationship. The two female hybrids watched as the female human hesitated for a moment before she sprinted in the opposite direction, like a zebra trying to escape a lion…it was almost as if the human knew what was going to happen next.

'Surely,' Serena thought to herself, 'That couldn't be right?'. They continued to watch with interest as the female vampire, their intel said to be Heidi, led the male human into what they guessed was the entry of the Volturi.

"Since when were the Volturi vigilante?" Maysun asked in disbelief over what she and her sister had just witnessed.

Serena tsked in annoyance, "It must only be very recent or Sulpicia would have said so. This makes getting into the coven much harder now".

"What do we do now?" Maysun asked in concerned, "Father expects this to happen today. The plan only works if we can both get in!". She watched as only Heidi re-emerged from the shadows and continued to survey the crowd. The two sisters continued to watch the vampire for several more minutes, trying desperately to figure out a new plan as it was obvious that tourist were no longer on the menu.

"It appears criminals are now the meal of the Volturi," Maysun sighed, "Too bad we look as far away from criminals as possible".

"Follow my lead," Serena smirked as an idea popped into her head, "I have a plan".

* * *

Heidi had acted as the Volturi's 'fisher' for many years and had been alive for many more. While she had always enjoyed her role and prided herself on her talent for luring humans to their demise without leaving a trace, the Queen's new orders of what prey could be brought into the coven definitely made things a bit more interesting. She had been orchestrating elaborate ploys for potential pray for decades and had always been successful in covering her tracks. When the Queen approached her and asked her to limit their prey to criminals and law-breakers, unless Heidi had no other option of course, it certainly made Heidi's job much harder. However, Heidi felt it was much more suited to her talents. Her usual prey were older adults or young teenagers who didn't know the saying that if it was too good to be true, then it was. Criminals however were savvier. After all, it takes a conman to con a conman. They were harder to lure in. However, that made it all the more exciting for Heidi. She was a predator if nothing else and some of the criminal records she had read made her non-existent blood boil. It reminded her of her human days when she was treated like garbage. Luring this type of bait in to the coven filled Heidi with pride as in a way, she was cleaning up the human world. She was currently waiting in front of the coven for the last two prey of today's meal.

"Ah Heidi!" she heard her name called.

Heidi turned and smiled slightly when she saw the elderly local priest approaching her, "Father Accardi, here to practice your English again?".

"Si! Si! I mean yes," Father Accardi corrected himself in English as he stood in front of the stunning vampire, "New names for you. Bad men, very bad men. Reported in confessional". During her time with the Volturi, Heidi had never met the priest. It wasn't until the Queen became involved with the local church through her cooking quests that Heidi had met Father Accardi.

Heidi wasn't exactly sure about the arrangement between the priest and the leaders of the Volturi but once a month, he would pay the coven a visit with a list of names. Those names belonged to local criminals, the worst of the worst that lived within the Volterra walls…and who wouldn't been noticed should they go missing…or people the police would turn a blind eye too should they vanish…if nothing else, make Volterra a better place. She guessed the old man found the names through confessionals or from the church patrons who attended. It was how in fact she was hunting the last two prey for today's meal. Their victims had come to Father Accardi for help trying to escape these men but feared the consequences if they did so. The two's names had been included in the month's previous list and after some baiting, Heidi had managed to lure both men to the courtyard today.

Heidi flashed the old priest a pretty smile as she took the folded-up piece of paper from him, "Thank you Father".

"Angels from God," the old man smiled, "I go. Afternoon service. May the Lord be with you". Heidi continued to smile politely while the priest shuffled away. The priest was a funny old man. He called Heidi and the other vampires angels when it was probably the furthest thing from the truth, more like demons if she was being honest. However, it seemed that the priest knew there was something strange about these _angels_ as well because he never stayed in their presence for long. He would drop the names off once a month and leave just as quickly. Heidi slipped the piece of paper into one of the many pockets of her cloak as she kept her eyes peeled for the last two prey.

She had arranged it so Emilio Roberto, a local thug who enjoyed using his fist on _all_ his problems, would arrive first and then the second prey a bit after. After a bit of research, Heidi hypothesised that Mr Roberto's girlfriend had recently gone to the church, seeking help to escape her boyfriend…particularly as the girlfriend's parents had recently been violently murdered in a manner that eerily fit Mr Roberto's known ammo. Heidi started laying down the trap and after a few weeks, managed to convince Mr Roberto that he wanted to take a trip to the courtyard today. The other prey was a fellow gang member whose ex-girlfriend had disappeared under mysterious circumstances which made the current girlfriend terrified she would be next.

Heidi surveyed the courtyard in almost a bored fashion, watching as tourist trailed in and out taking photos of the historical architecture that made up the city. It was then she spotted her first prey of the day. It was almost too easy convincing Mr Roberto he wanted to come _play_ with Heidi while the batted girlfriend looked on in relief. Heidi escorted the man into the coven and handed him off to Demetri.

"Don't be gentle dear," Heidi purred softly so only Demetri could hear. Demetri subtlety winked at her as he roughly man-handled the human deeper into the coven.

'Only one left,' Heidi smugly thought to herself as she re-emerged into the courtyard waiting for the final prey to wonder in.

"Oh my gosh babe," an annoyingly high pitch voice whispered, "I can't believe we've paid for this vacation with your husband's life insurance money".

"Shush!" a voice quickly hushed the other, "Don't say that so loud! You know how much trouble I had to go through to cover his murder! Just because we're in Italy, doesn't mean people won't understand English!". Heidi looked in the direction of the voices with a bored expression on her face. Little human chit chat didn't phase her but hey, Heidi was a sucker for some good trashy TV…or human goss in this situation. The two females walked arm in arm looking at the local architecture. Heidi listened to the continue gossip about how the husband was killed half-heartily. As soon as the women started talking about the murder in more detail, Heidi got the feeling that it all felt a bit…staged…and Heidi would know. As someone who lives off conning prey, she could smell a fake and she wasn't willing to risk it without conducting any research first.

It was then however that Heidi spotted her last prey for today's feeding.

'And here we go,' Heidi smirked as she strolled towards the prey.

* * *

Serena and Maysun watched in dismay as Heidi didn't even look at the two sisters. They further frowned when they saw Heidi talk to another male and then they both entered the coven. Unlike last time though, Heidi didn't emerge.

"What do we do now?" Maysun asked panicked as it started to dawn on her that the first part of their plan had failed. The plan their father had come up with was that Serena and Maysun would pose as tourist and be lured into the coven for a feeding day. When they would then duck away through one of the many corridors and passages identified by Sulpicia that the prey is normally led through. One of the passageways led directly to the guest wing which, if the Volturi stick to tradition, the guests would be there. Being half vampire, their father had taught the sisters how to lower their heart rate so low that it would be easily missed by the guards due to the heartbeats of the humans around them. The sisters would go, surprise any of the Cullens who were there in the wing and kidnap the child before exiting another secret corridor that would lead them to outside the walls of Volterra. Their father believed that the Cullens would be distracted by the hybrid's heartbeat and the heartbeat of the humans who worked in the coven, they wouldn't even see the attack coming. The whole plan relied on getting into the bloody coven in the first place…which seemed to just go up in flames.

The two sisters sat back down on the edge of the fountain as they tried to work out a new game plan. The two sisters sat there for what felt like hours as they panicked over how they were going to get the child.

"Serena…if we fail…we're better of being dead," Maysun whispered in fear, "Father…being dead would be a blessing compared to what he would do to us".

Serena frowned at her sister's comment, "It won't come to that. We'll think of something". As if the Gods above heard their prayers, a delicious scent appeared in the air. The sisters whipped around to the source and saw a gorgeous blonde-haired vampire holding hands with the very hybrid they were looking for. The two had just exited the Volturi coven and were walking through the courtyard.

"It's not the plan but it'll do. It looks like there's only one vampire to deal with. Get ready Maysun," Serena warned as the sisters quickly started following the two.

* * *

I had just dropped Bella off to the guest wing and confirmed what time dinner would be tonight. As I approached the throne room, I could already hear the screams of our prey.

'How rude', I thought in annoyance, 'They started without me'. I quickly entered the throne room just as a male human ran towards me, trying to flee the massacre.

"Help! Help!" he shouted in fear. I smiled as he came closer before thrusting my hand out and wrapping it around his throat. His neck effortlessly caved in under the pressure I was applying as I latched my teeth onto his neck. My teeth easily cut into his neck like a knife cutting butter and I drained the body within seconds. I discarded the corpse and I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Having only recently fed, I only needed one body to sustain my hunger. I surveyed the room and watched as the coven members were finishing up their meals. I heard a pair of heels clack against the stone before coming to a stop beside me.

"Death row inmates who committed vial crimes with a few local wife beaters in as well thanks to our dear old priest," Heidi grinned as she surveyed the aftermath.

I hummed, "Well done Heidi. You continue to impress me. There seems to be more than last time".

Heidi grinned, looking very proud of herself, "You would be surprised how willing prisons are willing to get rid of their death row inmates or lonely prisoners with no relations. Overcrowding is a real problem these days. There is some red tape but rest assured my Queen, nothing will trace back to us". I nodded in approval, absolutely trusting Heidi's word. She had been doing this for several years and I had no doubt that when she said it wouldn't be traced back to us, it wouldn't. With social media rapidly advancing, I was becoming more and more concerned that targeting tourists would cause a problem sooner rather then later. It only took one post or one photo for everything to come undone. Criminals or prisoners certainly made the situation easier. With how horrific some of the crimes were, people were very willing to turn a blind eye to their disappearance or chalk it up to a rival gang.

"Clean up and then everyone is dismissed," Marcus ordered from his throne, his clothing spotless but his eyes were bright red confirming that he had indeed fed. I watched as the guards quickly removed the bodies and washed away the blood on the stone before exiting, leaving only myself and my mates.

"Could you have spilt anymore blood vasílissa mou?" Caius teased. I stared at him in confusion until I looked down and realised what he was talking about. The front of my dress was saturated in blood, evidence of my yet to master feeding. I had yet to master my mates pristine and neat feeding habits that left no trace of their meal.

Aro looked at my blood-stained dress in distain, "We need to work on your feeding etiquette. You'll need to get cleaned up". I touched the front of my ruined dress. I felt that the blood was still warm and an idea occurred to me.

"Well," I purred as I approached my mates, "Anyone want to help me clean up?". My eyes zeroed in on Caius as he shifted in his throne, Aro and Marcus all too aware not to show weakness when I was in a mischievous mood. I would zone in on the first mate who broke and tease them mercilessly as a result. Honestly, I would have thought Caius would know by now…he was a sucker for punishment that's for sure. I smirked as I strolled towards my mate and climbed onto Caius' lap, my leg either side of his.

"Will you help me clean up Caius?" I teased as I reached behind and unzipped the back of my dress. I shivered as Caius' hands slowly trailed up from my waist to the back of my neck as he slowly peeled the upper part of my dress down, revealing my blood-soaked chest. With the fabric of the dress being so light, the blood had swept through onto my skin.

"We definitely need to work on your eating," Caius whispered as he watched a trail of blood slowly run down my chest.

I wrapped both my arms around his neck, "Are you sure you want that ma force?". I moaned in pleasure as I felt Caius' tongue travel up and down my chest, lapping at the spilt blood. I felt my mates' desire and lust pulse through our shared bond which made everything more exotic.

"You seem very happy with this arrangement," I choked back another moan as Caius continued his work. Despite getting caught up in the passion, I was very well aware of the two sets of eyes burning on myself and Caius. I reached through the bonds once more and felt no jealousy, only desire and lust.

"W-While I have your full attention," Caius was certainly making it hard to form sentences at the moment but I pushed on, "We are having dinner tonight with my sister and the Cullens". Caius' grip on my waist tightened, signalling his displeasure, but he didn't say anything as he continued to lap at my chest like an oversize cat drinking milk.

Aro purred, "How very cunning of you my little swan. Distracting us and then giving us news you know we would not be particularly excited about. It fills my heart with warmth". I threw Aro and Marcus a smirk as Caius continued to feast on the wet blood on my chest. My attention quickly returned to Caius after he pinched my side, displeased I had looked elsewhere.

"What time?" Marcus asked, his voice very husky.

I hummed as I tried to string another sentence together, "5:30pm. Nessie, despite her growth rate and being a hybrid, she needs her sleep. Please be on your best behaviour". I groaned as Caius nipped my skin at that comment.

**BAM!**

I gasped in shock as the throne room door slammed open. I pressed my chest closer to Caius to hide my exposed breast and looked over my shoulder in annoyance to see who dare bothered my mates and I.

"Bella," I gritted my teeth in irritation upon seeing my shocked twin, "Have you heard of knocking?". I could sense Caius' fury through our bond and I did my best to smooth him with my own emotions of love and desire, last thing we needed was a bloody massacre in the throne room…with my sister being the victim.

"Nessie's been taken!"

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Not long too go until the end of this story. I estimate everything will be wrapped up by chapter 20. I have the rest of the plot outlined but do let me know if there's anything you want to see!
> 
> As always, thank you for your support and stay safe xxx


	17. Chapter 17

Before I could even take a moment to process what Bella had just said, Demetri and Felix charged in and started to restrain a screaming and thrashing Bella.

"Your family are never coming to visit again," Caius hissed in annoyance as he shifted underneath me, aware that any intimacy between us was now long gone…much to the amusement of Aro and Marcus. I placed both my hands on Caius' face and pressed our lips together in a, although be it brief, passionate kiss before focusing my attention back onto the problem at hand.

"What?" I asked in surprised as I quickly pulled the top of my dress back up and zipped the back up. I, with as much grace as possible, slid off Caius lap and turned to face my twin…also mindful to shield Caius as much as possible because I was very aware of the tent currently pitched in his pants at the moment. I signalled Demetri and Felix to release my sister and the remainder of the Cullen coven arrived in the throne room. Some of the Cullens looked a bit worse for wear while Jane and Alec walked in looking very pleased with themselves. I was going to hazard a guess that Alec, Demetri, Felix and Jane intercepted the Cullens before they came into the throne room while Bella with her shield power was able to slip through. The Cullens' eyes roamed over my bloody top and I could practically feel their judgment. However, their opinion mattered not to me.

"What do you mean she's been taken?" I asked in confusion, "She was in your room wasn't she?".

"No," Bella responded immediately, "Rosalie took her to see Jake and was attacked on the way there". It was only then that I really looked at Rosalie and saw that her injuries were far worst then anything the guards could have done in the short amount of time. Her face had taken quite a beating with deep cracks covering her face and one of her arms was quite mangled. I could see that the deep scratches on her face were very, very slowly starting to heal. Probably because of her animal blood diet it was taking longer for them to do so.

"What happened?" Marcus questioned Rosalie.

Rosalie sobbed and even after all these months, it was still very strange not to see any tears, "Nessie and I were headed to the hotel where the mutt was staying. We were about two blocks away when these two women approached us, one with blonde hair and one with black hair, they smelt strange. By the time I figured out we were in danger, I was attacked and Nessie ripped from my arms". I stared at the blonde Cullen, slowly processing what she had told me.

"Elaborate by what you mean by strange?" Aro questioned further.

"Did you not hear me?" Rosalie screamed back while her family quickly hissed at her, trying to remind her of who she was addressing.

"Mrs Cullen," Aro warned, "Do not forget who you are speaking too. I will forgive you on this occasion but I would be mindful of what comes out of your mouth next. Be thankful that you are…family for others have been killed for far less".

Reason seemed to come to Rosalie as she quickly muttered an apology before continuing, "I thought they were originally human tourist. It was only when they got closer that…that I truly smelt their scent. They…they were human but not human at the same time".

Carlisle frowned as he caught Aro's gaze, "Potentially more hybrids I fear".

Marcus hummed in agreement, "Nahuel did mention his father created other hybrids. Potentially his half-sisters are involved?".

"Perhaps we should contact him and see whether he can confirm the identity of the two mystery vampires?" I proposed.

Caius nodded in agreement, "Yes. We need to move quickly but quietly. We need as much advantage as we can get".

"Demetri," Aro ordered, "Please bring our dear friend Nahuel to us". The underlying 'by whatever means necessary' was not lost to Demetri. Demetri nodded and bowed before he quickly left the room. I was about to say something when I noticed Bella shifting nervously from one foot to another. It was something she used to do when she was a human and had something on her mind but was too shy to say it.

"Isabella?" I questioned as her eyes snapped to mine, "Something you would like to share?".

Her eyes stayed locked on mine before she looked at Edward and then back to me, "I think Jake should be here". A tense silence filled the room.

"I think Bella is right," Carlisle hesitantly broke the silence, "Jacob is Nessie's mate. He'll be able to sense her and feel through their bond where she is". I wasn't even aware that the bond between Jacob and Nessie was that deep and strong. While I knew Jacob would never hurt Nessie, the significant age difference between the two of them and how young Nessie was made me a bit uncomfortable over the thought of their bond.

Aro on the other hand looked excited. It reminded me of a child learning something new and exciting for the first time.

"Their bond works in such a way?" Aro prompted, clearly seeking a further explanation.

Bella cautiously nodded, "Nessie confided about the bond to me. When they played hide and seek together…she just knew how to always find him and vice versa. She once mentioned that she saw a faint red string and by following that, it always leads to Jacob".

"And here I thought your niece would be the normal one of the family," Marcus teased softly so only myself and my mates could hear. I glared at him from the corner of my eye and pushed my annoyance with him through our bond.

"Not helping," I hissed at him. When I first met my mates, I remember thinking Caius would be the naughty one…who would have ever thought it would be Marcus.

"How wonderful," Aro continued the conversation with my sister, completely ignoring Marcus and I, "Perhaps we should bring him here to help us". Bella and the other Cullens tensed up at the suggestion.

"Aro," Edward hesitantly spoke, "Mr Black…he is a shapeshifter and…has a unique smell".

Aro smiled in a very condescending way that only he could ever pull off as far as I was concerned, "I am very aware of what Mr Black is young mind reader. Do you not trust my judgment?".

"Of course I trust your judgment sir," Edward quickly realised the error of his ways, "My wife and I will bring him now".

While Bella and Edward went to fetch Jacob, my mates and I got a more detailed description of the two potential hybrids from Rosalie before we sent the Cullens back to their rooms while my mates and I waited silently for Bella, Edward and Jacob to arrive. I had to resist the urge to screw my face up when a vial scent filled the air. It smelt as if someone had left a shaggy rug in water for too long and left it out to dry on a muggy day. It was truly unpleasant and I reluctantly had to acknowledge how remarkable it was that the Cullens were able to stand being in such close proximity to the shapeshifters of La Push. Honestly, the smell was horrible!

"I stand corrected," Caius muttered unhappily, "Your family are never allowed to visit again". I smiled slightly at my mate's snarky comment and pushed my love for him through our bond. Caius grunted and accepted my love, though his emotions made it very obvious he still wasn't happy about the situation. The doors opened and in walked Edward, Bella and Jacob. It was my first-time seeing Jacob in several months. He looked just as I remembered…though I don't remember him having such big muscles. I watched as Jake shifted uncomfortably under my intense gaze and his eyes roamed over my figure.

"Jacob Black. Leader of the Black pack and mate to Renesmee Cullen," I formally greeted, "It is good to see you again. I wish it were under better circumstances". Jake flinched at my voice and he looked at me for a moment before quickly looking away once he made eye contact with my bright red eyes.

'Well this is going to be a long and awkward meeting if that's the case,' I thought.

"…Lottie," Jake hesitantly greeted in reply, I could practically hear the distain in his voice. Unlike Embry and Quil who, while shocked, accepted me for who I was. It was evident that Jake wasn't at that stage. Probably because Embry and Quil knew that it would be the last time I ever saw them…they didn't really have an option but to get over it. Jake on the other hand…he knew that he had time…probably why he wasn't quite at the stage where he was accepting that I was a vampire…who drunk human blood…who was Queen of the very race he despised. I felt the cold fury from my mates through our bond. It seemed that they had also heard the distain in Jake's voice.

"Are you able to sense where Renesmee Cullen is currently?" Aro asked in a calm voice, though I could feel his fury at Jake in my bond. I tried to soothe my mates by sending my love and acceptance for Jake's slow coming around but it seemed that it was doing very little to help them. Marcus' had his eyes locked firmly on Jacob with a blank expression while Caius openly scowled at the shapeshifter.

Jake shifted uneasily, "She's too far away for me to pinpoint exactly but I can sense the area. Once I'm close enough, I'll know her exact location".

There was a loud knock on the throne room door.

"Enter," Caius ordered. A very cocky looking Demetri and a very uncomfortable looking Nahuel entered.

"Ah Demetri," Aro greeted cheerfully, "And welcome once again Nahuel". The hybrid smiled nervously as Aro's intense gaze fell upon him.

"I wasn't really given a choice and I've not been told why I'm here," Nahuel replied, causing Demetri to look even more pleased with himself.

Ever the diplomat, Marcus quickly responded, "Due to the very delicate and pressing nature of the situation, I'm sure you can understand why Demetri insisted you come straight away".

"Renesmee Cullen was kidnapped by two unknown potential hybrids," I bluntly added on, "Based on the information from the surviving witness, we suspect this was done by two female hybrids". Nahuel's reaction was very interesting. While outwardly his expression didn't change, his heart rate skyrocketed.

"…what did the witness say?" Nahuel hesitantly asked. If my mates and I had any doubts over whether it was Nahuel's half sisters who kidnapped Nessie, that quickly disappeared based on Nahuel's reaction to the description Caius gave.

"Your half-sisters?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

Nahuel was looking very pale and he nodded his head, "Serena and Maysun".

"Where are they?" Bella and Jake demanded at the same time. I looked at my sister, slightly surprised she had managed to stay quiet for so long. Nahuel didn't reply. His heart started beating faster at their question though.

'So he knows,' I thought, 'But probably too scared to say. The Volturi isn't exactly known for its forgiveness'.

"Nahuel," I said softly causing the hybrid's attention to snap to me, "Time is of the essence. We need to find them before any harm comes to my niece". A gentle reminder to him about Nessie's connection to the Volturi.

Nahuel looked conflicted, "My sisters aren't bad. They would have been acting on orders from my father. He's not someone you say no too".

"I understand. It's hard to say no to someone who particularly raised you and is your anchor in this world," I continued as I slowly approached the hybrid, "While the Volturi carries out justice, we are merciful. If your sisters were found to be acting under distress, we will take this into consideration". I stopped in front of the hybrid and placed my hand on his cheek, trying to offer a 'motherly' comfort.

"You won't harm them?" Nahuel looked hopefully at me.

I smiled gently at him once more, "I promise that we will consider everything you've told us about your father before we decide anything and let your sisters explain the situation". A promise without a promise. However, it seemed to be all that Nahuel needed.

"My father has a home in Rome. I've never been there but I heard Maysun mention it once. If she was taken from here, that's the closest place they would go," Nahuel explained.

"Is Rome to the south?" Jacob quickly intervened, "I can feel the pull heading there. I will be able to pinpoint her location when we get closer!". Edward and Bella looked relieved by Jake's comment and part of me was also relieved too…however there was still too much to do before I could relax.

Caius hummed as a wicked smile appeared on his face, "We better start a plan of attack then".

* * *

**Hello everyone! My sincere apologies for the delay and such a short chapter!**

**I've recently started studying and forgot how time consuming that it! I wanted to get something out since it's been so long! I have started getting into the swing of things and my time management is much better! This chapter was a bit of a struggle for me and I'm not very happy with how it turned out but it lays the foundation for the next chapters.**

**Stay safe xxx**


	18. Chapter 18

Ever since she was born, Renesmee Cullen knew she was unique. She grew and advanced rapidly. It was almost like her own biological clock realised that she was constantly in danger and needed to mature faster to survive in this world. She loved her family dearly and they were her entire world. Literally, her entire world. For her own safety she wasn't allowed to mingle with other vampires and she couldn't attend school for obvious reasons. While she truly treasured her family, she was starting to feel lonely. Everything she did, one of her family members had already done or were doing at the moment. Nessie felt that there was nothing she could do that was hers. She was walking around Grandpa Charlie's house when she saw a photo of her mum and a woman who looked almost identical. It was how she came to discover Charlotte Swan, her mum's deceased twin. Nessie couldn't even begin to explain why but she felt a connection to the deceased woman…maybe because she saw so much of herself in the smiling woman's face or from the many stories Grandpa Charlie told her about Charlotte. It made Nessie quite upset that she would never get to meet the woman who was such a large part of the Swan household.

It was also one afternoon in the Swan household that Nessie discovered a well-loved cookbook. She delicately took the book in her hands and flipped through the pages. She noticed that there was writing in the margins of some of the pages with some steps in the recipes having been crossed out and replaced with other directions. Out of curiosity, Nessie turned to the first page and started reading the recipe – how to bake a chocolate cake. She scurried to the pantry and saw that somehow, she had all the ingredients but self-raising flour and cocoa powder. She figured she could substitute those ingredients for others. It was safe to say that her first baking attempt didn't go so well but it was that moment that created her love for baking. When Grandpa Charlie walked in and saw her baking, she vividly remembered how his eyes filled with tears but he was so happy at the same time. Nessie made it a weekly occurrence that she would visit Grandpa Charlie and they would explore a new baking recipe together. Even when the threat of the Volturi loomed overhead and other vampires came to stay with her family, baking with her Grandpa became her escape. It also made her fill close to the Aunt she would never know. Her hand-written notes filled with such knowledge and wisdom would sometimes make Nessie mourn over the loss of the relationship she never had with her Aunt.

However, that all changed during the confrontation with the Volturi. Her mother's twin was alive. She was a vampire and one that Nessie had met before but looked vastly different to the blonde-haired vampire she presented herself as. In the back of Nessie's mind, it made sense to her though. When she met the mysterious vampire, something told her that the vampire wouldn't hurt her. Nessie didn't know how at the time she knew this but she did. Now it made sense, her vampire side somehow recognised this woman, despite her disguise, to be family. Unlike the rest of her family, Nessie was beyond excited at the revelation that her Aunt was alive! That was until her mum became consumed by anger and hurt. Before she could even properly meet her Aunt, she was whisked away by her family. The first few days after the confrontation with the Volturi, her mother refused to speak on the topic and was in denial about everything. Despite Nessie wanting to be involved, her family shielded her from everything. It wasn't until one day that Nessie by chance overheard her families plan to travel to Italy that Nessie pleaded she come along. Her parents shot her request down multiple times and as Nessie was unable to talk to Grandpa Charlie about the situation (after a very long conversation with her parents about why it was kinder for Grandpa Charlie not to know that Lottie was alive), Nessie began to feel isolated with no one to turn too. Her beloved Jake also sided with her parents on this topic further making Nessie feel alone. It was only after much begging and a very, very long discussion with the entire family that they finally agreed to take her along – with Jake coming too of course.

Her first day in Volturi was filled with uncontrollable excitement! Her parents had just left their guest room in the Volturi to speak with her Aunt and before they left, Nessie once again reminded her mum about her desire to meet with her Aunt. Her mum smiled softly at her and said she wouldn't forget before her parents disappeared. It wasn't long after that that Aunt Rosy offered to take her to Jake and they could spend the day sightseeing around the city. Since it was a bright day, Aunt Rosy would take an umbrella to shield herself from the sun. Being a shapeshifter, Jake was unable to stay with them and was staying at a hotel nearby. Her Aunt shielded her from the curious gazes of the Volturi coven members as they made their way through the coven before Aunt Rosy relaxed as they made it outside, away from the prying eyes of the coven members.

They were almost at Jake's hotel when two women started walking towards them. Initially, nothing seemed off about them. Two humans wondering around the city. It was only when Nessie made eye contact with one of them that she sensed their not so good intentions. The woman seemed to realise this as well as they both suddenly pounced on her and her Aunt. Nessie and her Aunt fought nail and tooth but were easily overpowered by the two as they were so thoroughly caught off guard. Nessie tried to strike at them but the women kept easily evading her, not seemingly worried about her and more about her Aunt. Her Aunt was taking an absolute beating and screamed at Nessie to run. Nessie knew better then to question her but before she could even start running, one of the women suddenly grabbed her arm and Nessie felt something small prick her skin. Almost instantaneously, her body froze. However, she felt another small prick somewhere on her arm and then Nessie really began to freak out as her eyesight started to disappear.

'They injected something into me,' Nessie panicked.

She heard her Aunt roar before felt herself be picked up and the wind rapidly pounding on her face. Despite her best efforts to fight back, her body simply wasn't obeying. She knew she was being kidnapped and to her great distress, there was nothing she could do.

"Quickly Maysun," one of her kidnappers ordered, "We have to get her to father! It won't be long before the Volturi are on our tails!". The two women seemed to pick up the pace and what felt like hours later, though Nessie wasn't really sure how much time had really passed, they arrived at whatever destination she had been taken too.

"You're late," a mysterious man greeted.

"Our sincere apologies Father," one of the woman apologised, "There was a minor complication but please rest assured, we dealt with it and brought you the hybrid". Nessie heard some shifting before she felt something – a hand perhaps? – on her cheek.

"She's perfect," the man said in a way that made Nessie's skin crawl. It was almost considered a small mercy to the young hybrid that she couldn't see whoever this man was. Every fibre of her being was screaming to get away from him.

The man hummed, "Why is she injured?".

No one spoke.

"She was in the company of another vampire and was momentarily caught in the cross-" whoever speaking was cut off by a violent noise. The sound reminded Nessie of the noise when Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper were wrestling – stone hitting stone.

'Did he…did he hit her?' Nessie thought in horror as she was starting to really become aware of what a dangerous situation she was in.

"S-Sorry Fath-," another violent noise.

"Be more careful next time," the man spat, "How much poison did you give her?".

"Two!" one of the women quickly responded, "Two just like you said Father".

The man huffed, "At least you can follow some orders. Take my specimen to the allocated guest room and alert me once the poison wears off". Nessie felt herself being moved to wherever it was, though it strangely took quite a bit of time to get there, and placed on a bed of some sorts.

"I'm so sorry," she heard a woman whisper, "I'm so, so, so sorry".

Nessie laid there on the bed. Her vision blinded, her body unable to move, kidnapped from her family. She was in a panicked state but could do nothing about it. She wasn't sure how much time had passed but ever so slowly, she was getting feeling back in her fingers and toes. After this revelation though, she quickly stilled herself. She wasn't sure if another vampire was present. It wasn't long after that that Nessie's vision slowly started to return. While her vision was definitely still hazy, she found herself in a simple room that had cream coloured walls with a matching carpeted floor. Nessie was thoroughly put off by so much of the same bland colour. It made her skin crawl and she started to think there was a much darker purpose of this room with such an easily stained colour being everywhere. However, her thoughts quickly halted as to her absolute horror, her arms had been chained to the bed.

"A precaution I'm afraid," a very familiar voice answered her unspoken thoughts. While her body movements weren't completely back yet, she had enough movement to slightly turn her head and see who was talking. Finally, she was able to see one of her kidnappers. A young woman, probably in her early twenties, was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. She had long blonde hair that was tied back in a beautiful braid and her eyes were a unique shade that appeared to be a very diluted looking red, almost brown if not for Nessie's advanced eyesight.

"You're a hybrid," Nessie stated.

The woman gave a tight-lipped smile, "I am".

"Is my Aunt Rosy alive?".

"Yes".

"How long have I been out for?".

"Several hours".

"What is going to happen to me?".

"That's for Father to decide".

"Are you going to kill me?".

"That's for Father to decide".

Nessie bit the inside of her lip at the woman's vague questions as a more pressing issue came to mind, "Are you going to report to your Father that I'm awake?".

The hybrid's eyes stared into Nessie's before she eventually answered, "I'll wait to the poison wears off. Consider it my mercy for what is to come".

Nessie felt all her hair stand up on edge before she once again asked, "What is going to happen to me?". Unlike last time, the hybrid didn't respond and simply turned her head away to break eye contact as she stared at the blank wall in the room.

"What is your name?" Nessie tried to prompt an answer from the hybrid but the hybrid refused to answer her.

Nessie frowned, "Were you the one he hit?".

The hybrid's attention snapped back to hers as she frowned, "How do you know about that?". Nessie hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should say but eventually decided to do so. A part of her desperately hoping she could make a connection with this hybrid and it could be her key to safety…or prolong everything until her family came.

"I couldn't see but I could hear. It sounded like the noise when Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper wrestle each other," Nessie confessed as her eyes narrowed in on the woman's face trying to find any bruises.

The blonde-haired hybrid held her head up high, "I was but I deserved it. I let Father down".

Nessie further frowned at the woman's explanation, "My daddy would never do that no matter what I did".

An ugly scowl appeared on the hybrid's face, "You've been alive for what? A few months? You know nothing of the world".

"Perhaps," Nessie agreed with her, "But no man should hit a woman". Nessie's comment seemed to further irritate the vampire but before the hybrid could respond, a resounding bang rang through the area. The hybrid's eyes widened in fear as she cursed and ran from the room, slamming the door behind her. The room went eerily quiet. Her vision, while mostly returned, was still a bit hazy and while she strained her ears to see whether she could hear anything but she heard nothing…that was until the door to the room was ripped off.

"Mum!" Nessie cried in relief at the familiar brunette hair.

"Not quite sweetheart," her 'mum' responded. It was only after that comment that Nessie forced herself to focus her gaze on the woman. The woman's brunette hair was almost identical to her mother's but not at the same time with a similar facial structure as well. The most obvious difference was the fact that the look-a-like had bright red eyes and everything about her reminded her of a certain person from the many photos at Grandpa Charlie's.

"Aunt Lottie?" Nessie asked hesitantly. This was definitely not how she pictured meeting her Aunt.

The woman seemed to soften at Nessie's comment and quickly made her way over to her, smiling softly, "Indeed. Let's get you out of these chains". Nessie watched in amazement as her Aunt easily broke the chains keeping her restricted to the bed, though she did notice a frown appear on her Aunt's face as she studied the broken chains in her hands.

"Your majesty!"

Nessie's head snapped to the door and saw a hooded Volturi guard standing there. Though Nessie was more happy over the fact that whatever poison she was injected with had worn off and she could fully move.

"I must insist you don't run off! I can't protect you otherwise," the guard panicked, "The kings would have my head if something happened to you".

Her Aunt hummed but her eyes never left the chains, "My apologies Renata, I sensed something and thought we had an enemy afoot". Nessie could tell that the guard wanted to say more but decided not to.

"What is it Aunty?" Nessie asked as her Aunt continued to look at the chains in her hands.

Her Aunt smiled at her, "Nothing my sweet, let's get you back to your family. Renata, please hold onto these. The others should be done by now". Her Aunt and the hooded vampire started to make their way back down the hallway, talking quietly amongst themselves. Nessie wasn't sure what quite came over her, it could be that the stress of being kidnapped finally hit her, as she ran to her Aunt's side and held her hand. The two vampires immediately stopped talking and Nessie felt her Aunt's gaze on her.

Nessie shyly looked up at her, "Is this…okay?". Nessie lightly squeezed her Aunt's hand to further clarify her point.

Her Aunt looked taken aback by her actions but a warm smile quickly appeared on her face, "Of course it's okay". Nessie noted though that whatever discussion her Aunt and the guard was having previously did not resume. The trio walked down the seemingly never-ending hallway. Nessie guessed that the vampires chose to walk at normal pace for her own benefit more then anything else but she was getting a little freaked out by the endless hallway.

"You said my family was here?" Nessie eventually asked, trying to distract herself. The were rows and rows of doors on either side of her. Something wasn't right.

"They are. They are in a different section of this bloody big underground mansion," her Aunt replied.

Nessie looked at her Aunt in shock before turning her attention to the seemingly normal hallway, "We're underground?".

Her Aunt nodded, "Don't let the appearance fool you. We are several stories underground. The place is honestly a bit of a maze. Your Uncle Caius sent myself and Renata to investigate this section because he thought there wasn't going to be anything here. Won't he get quite a shock! Serves him right for trying to take me out of the action. Myself, Renata, Uncle Caius, your family, several of my guards and Jacob are also here". She noticed her Aunt's momentary hesitation over Jake's name but chose not to comment on it. Nessie didn't know the whole story but she knew from Grandpa Charlie that Aunt Lottie and Jake were once very close friends but something happened. She didn't know what exactly it was but she also guessed that her Aunt being a human blood drinking vampire, based on those very red eyes, didn't help mend the friendship either. She knew Jake only tolerated the Cullens because they were family. He had already made mention several times about how the Volturi leeches made his skin crawl and when the vampires came to act as witnesses for the Cullens, he always vocally made his displeasure known.

"Your majesty, Master Caius was just trying to protect you," Renata quickly defended.

"Of course he was," her Aunt easily agreed, "We both know Caius is nothing but protective but I can handle myself. The sooner he accepts that, the easier things will be".

Renata hummed, "It's because he loves you so much. He's completely going to freak when he finds out he sent you into danger".

Aunt Lottie chuckled, "Please Renata! You would have kicked ass long before anything dangerous would have occurred".

The easy-going conversation between her Aunt and the guard made Nessie curious about the dynamics. From her lessons with Grandpa Carlisle and what her parents explained of the situation, her Aunt and her Uncles were the royal family of the vampire world. However, her Aunt and the guard were acting like two friends that were going shopping as opposed to raiding a vampire's nest.

"Nessie close your eyes and don't move!" her Aunt suddenly ordered as she pushed her up against the wall, "Cover your ears!". Nessie quickly did as her Aunt asked as she closed her eyes and covered her ears. However, she was still able to hear a terrifying roar accompanied by a horrible smell. She heard several loud bangs before a pained whine. There were several more noises before everything stopped after a loud snap. It was the type of snap Nessie heard when Grandpa Charlie cracked his fingers, the snap of a bone.

The hallway went silent before she heard her Aunt and Renata softly talking, all but confirming that snap had belonged to whatever they had come across in the hallway. Whatever it was that her Aunt and the guard were talking about thought was far too soft for her to make out what they were saying.

"Nessie, sweetie," her Aunt said, "I'm going to need you to keep your eyes closed. I'm going to carry you for the time being okay? We need to move and we need to move fast".

"Okay," Nessie responded softly, "What was that roar?". She felt her Aunt's arms wrap around her waist before she was hoisted up into a bridal position within her Aunt's arms.

"I'm not too sure," her Aunt confessed, "But we need to move quickly and re-group with the others". Nessie kept her eyes closed as she felt the wind start to lightly brush against her face, signalling that her Aunt was running.

"Nessie!" she heard the very familiar voice of her Aunty Alice. Nessie opened her eyes and smiled in relief when she saw Aunty Alice, Uncle Jasper and an unknown hooded Volturi guard beside them.

"Demetri, do you know where the others are? We need to re-group and get out of here as soon as possible. I think we know why Alice's visions weren't working," her Aunt said in a serious voice which caused Aunty Alice and Uncle Jasper to look at Aunt Lottie in confusion.

"Why?" Aunty Alice asked, "I've never had this happen before. Only around the shapeshifter pack".

Nessie noticed that Aunt Lottie looked at the trio, more specifically Demetri, uncomfortably and hesitated for a moment before she sighed, "I'm pretty sure I just snapped a werewolf's neck".

* * *

**Hello everyone and welcome to your weekly update!**

**I wasn't kidding last week when I said I got my time management sorted (though don't worry, I doubted whether my schedule would work as well)! I finally also had time to finish Midnight Sun and I'm curious to know what everyone's thoughts (for those who have read it) were!**

**Thank you as always for your support!**

**Stay safe xxx**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello everyone and happy 2021!**

**I'm so so sorry for the delay! Life got a bit hectic and just when things started to settle down, I unfortunately, along with several members of my family, caught COVID. While I'm over the worst of the symptoms, the virus really takes the wind out of you. Thankfully everyone in my family is slowly on the mend but it was a bloody scary period there for a while.**

**My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has or know someone who has this horrific virus – I honestly would not wish it on my worst enemy!**

**A massive thank you to those who sent their support and well-wishes, I honestly cannot thank you enough!**

**While it is definitely taking longer than I expected, I will 100% finish this story!**

* * *

"Father, the Volturi have arrived and have penetrated the underground base," Maysun reported after receiving several notifications on her phone about security breaches. She had been alive long enough to know that while the rapid advancements in technology meant a greater risk of exposure, technology could be their greatest asset.

Maysun and her father were in a room in the heart of their underground Roman home they affectionately called "The Hive". The Hive was a room filled with dozens of screens that provided live feedback from the security cameras that covered every inch of the base.

The underground fortress her father built had been decades in the making. It was essentially a giant maze with so many dead ends that if you didn't know where you were going, it would be easy for Maysun or any of her other sisters to get the drop on any intruders.

"I am aware," Joham replied in a bored tone as he surveyed the screens, "You and your sisters know what to do".

Maysun froze.

'Is…is he serious?' Maysun thought in disbelief, 'We are completely outpowered and outnumbered. Our best chance of survival is to stay in The Hive and wait it out'.

"Problem Maysun?" her father's voice pulled her from her thoughts.

Maysun hesitated for a moment.

"Is that really so wise? We are already out-" Maysun stopped talking when she realised that her father had turned his full attention away from the security screens and was staring at her. It took very ounce of her courage and self-control not to burst out crying or flee. She felt like she was some poor rabbit who was about to be ripped apart by a predator.

"W-We'll make it work," Maysun blurted out, "Forgive me for my earlier comments Father. We'll make it work".

Joham smiled softly at his daughter, "That's what I thought you said". Maysun gave a strained smile before she quickly turned and left The Hive. She quickly messaged Serena and Jennifer as she made her way to another safe room located in the fortress.

Maysun had only walked a few steps before Serena appeared in front of her.

Maysun did her very best to hold herself together. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to scream, cry or flee.

"What's wrong?" Serena asked in concern upon seeing her sister, "Has Father ordered us to evacuate?".

"No," Maysun whispered, "He wants us to defend the base but there's so many enemies! We're going to die! We're going to-".

Maysun was cut off after Serena slapped her.

Serena placed her hands on Maysun's shoulders, "We have to trust Father. He knows what's best".

Maysun stared at her sister in disbelief, "Serena, there are so many Volturi guards. If we attack, we are going to get slaughtered. We will be ripped to pieces!".

Maysun pulled up a live feed of the enemies on her phone and showed her sister, "See! The Cullens would be a challenge but we have the Volturi guards to deal with! And not just any guards, the best of the best!".

Serena's face betrayed no emotions as she stared at the footage on Maysun's phone.

"What's happening?" Jennifer appeared behind her two half-sisters, "I got your text and came here as planned".

Maysun looked at her younger half-sister but before she could say anything, Serena spoke first, "There are intruders. Father has ordered us to carry out the defence protocol".

Jennifer frowned slightly and looked at Maysun who refused to meet her gaze.

"How many are there?" Jennifer asked sensing something was amiss.

Serena scoffed, "It doesn't matter. Resume your position as we've planned for. I'm going to go see Father to ensure that the rest of the protocols are in place. Where is he?".

"He's in The Hive," Maysun replied.

Serena went to leave but paused as she studied her two half-sisters, more specifically Maysun who knew what the sisters were up against, "I know you're concerned but have faith in Father. Stick to the plan".

Serena left moments later.

Jennifer frowned in confusion before she looked at Maysun. It was only than that Jennifer actually saw the condition that Maysun was in – the sheer terror in her eyes.

"Maysun," Maysun looked at Jennifer, "What are we up against?".

Maysun wordlessly handed Jennifer her phone with a live feed of the Volturi and the Cullens.

"There's so many," Jennifer whispered in disbelief as she surveyed the live feed of the group of vampires on Maysun's phone screen, "How does Father expect us to beat them all? They even brought the demon twins".

Maysun nodded in agreement, "I don't know how Father is expecting us to do this. We'll be annihilated".

Jennifer was silent for a moment, "What's Serena's opinion on this? Does she actually know what we are up against? How many enemies we have?".

Maysun raised an eyebrow at Jennifer in disbelief over her comment.

Jennifer cringed in response, "Great. So she fully supports it".

"Well…she fully believes that Father, no matter what, can do no wrong," Maysun replied in annoyance, "Even if we end up as collate damage".

The two half-sisters stood quietly for a moment as they continued to watch the live feed of the intruders.

"Do you think if we surrendered, they would show us mercy?" Jennifer asked her sister softly.

Maysun scoffed, "The Volturi don't do mercy".

"…we could try though? Best case, we get to live. Worst case, we still die…but hopefully in a less painful way".

Maysun chuckled softly, "You've always been so optimistic".

"Someone needs to drag you out of your gloomy state," Jennifer teased. The mood between the two turned sombre once more.

Jennifer was the first to break the silence, "We can only ask…we can only do it before Serena gets back".

"Seriously though Jen, why would we?" Maysun heavily sighed, "It'll be death for us either way".

Jennifer swallowed nervously as the true gravity of the situation started to really sink in, "You're right. We either get a quick and painless death or we will end up in a situation where we will be wishing we were dead. However, it would be better than anything Father would do to us should we survive and fail to win this very much unwinnable fight".

Maysun slowly nodded, the clogs turning in her head trying to figure out how they could walk away from this alive.

"We can only ask".

* * *

I stared at the mangled corpse of the creature I had just killed.

"Renata," I whispered so softly that only she could hear, "What the hell did I just kill?".

Renata frowned as she studied the dead creature, "I…I don't know. I've never seen anything like it in my life".

"Never?" I asked in disbelief.

Renata hesitated, "I would have said werewolf because it kind of smells like one but…that's definitely no werewolf".

"We need to re-group with the others. We'll continue to head back the way we came," I turned to Nessie, "Nessie, sweetie. I'm going to need you to keep your eyes closed. I'm going to carry you for the time being okay? We need to move and we need to move fast".

"Okay," Nessie responded softly, "What was that roar?". I wrapped my arms around Nessie's waist and hoisted her up into a bridal position within my arms.

"I'm not too sure," I confessed, "But we need to move quickly and re-group with the others".

Renata and I raced through the winding corridors and I sighed in reprieve when I saw Demetri, Alice and Jasper come into view.

"Nessie!" Alice cried in relief.

I placed Nessie down and smiled fondly as she dashed over and hugged her aunt.

"Demetri, do you know where the others are? We need to re-group and get out of here as soon as possible. I think we know why Alice's visions weren't working," I said in a serious voice which caused the animal drinkers and my niece to look at me in concern.

"Why?" Alice asked in confusion, "I've never had this happen before. Only around the shapeshifter pack".

I cringed internally as I made eye contact with Demetri. I knew what I was about to tell him was not going to go down well.

I hesitated for a moment and then sighed, "I'm pretty sure I just snapped a werewolf's neck".

Demetri's expression would have been absolutely comical if not for the direness of the situation.

"…pardon?" Demetri asked. I didn't think it was possible, but he was looking a bit more pale than usual.

"I don't know whether it was a werewolf for sure, but I snapped the creature's neck regardless," I repeated again.

Demetri's gaze snapped to Renata.

The two had a silent conversation with their eyes before Renata eventually just shrugged her shoulders. I did feel slightly sorry for my guard. Despite the best efforts of my mates and my guard, I was very much like my twin - danger was attracted to us.

"This way your highness," Demetri bowed as he directed me towards a specific hallway, "I can sense his grace is this way".

I looked at my niece, "Are you okay to walk?". Nessie nodded her head while Alice and Jasper quickly stood on either side of her, ready to attack anything that even looked at my niece the wrong way.

At least the animal drinkers are useful for something.

Our small group swiftly made our way through the seemingly never-ending tunnel systems and I had never felt so relieved when I saw Caius along with several of the Volturi guards who came with us and the rest of the Cullens...though Jane and Alec were missing.

"Nessie!" Bella cried in relief as she rushed towards her daughter, pulling her into hug with Edward not much further behind.

I felt Caius' eyes linger on me, "What did you do?".

My gaze snapped to his, "What?".

"What did you do?" he repeated his question as I watched his eyes scan every inch of my cloaked form.

"What makes you say that?" I asked curiously, not exactly denying that something happened.

I suddenly became aware that everyone was watching the interaction between my mate and I.

Caius did not appreciate my question, "Demetri looks like he had a heart attack and your coat is torn".

I looked down in surprise and saw a large chuck of my cloak had scratch marks. Thankfully nothing had hit me and the damage to the cloak was much worse than what actually happened but I could see why Caius was not exactly pleased.

Nessie smiled at her uncle, "Aunty Lottie killed a werewolf".

Silence.

Absolute silence.

I swear if someone decided to drop a pin or even a button, you would have been able to hear it from the coven.

'Bless Nessie's sweet innocence,' I thought to myself, 'She probably has no idea about the beast she just unleashed'.

Caius' face went completely blank as his eyes drilled into mine, "You what?".

"It…it wasn't really a werewolf," I weakly defended myself.

"And that makes this better how?" Caius immediately snapped back.

I grimaced at his tone though I completely understood where he was coming from. Caius had told me in great length and detail about his encounters with werewolves. They were definitely not a creature to mess with and even if whatever I killed wasn't completely a werewolf, the danger had I messed up my attack would have resulted in me being severely injured…or possibly dead.

I walked over to Caius and placed my hand on his chest, sending as much of my love and understanding through our bond as possible.

" _I'm sorry my strength. The creature came across us suddenly and I had to protect my niece_ ," I spoke softly to him in French, " _I'm so sorry for causing you such stress_ ".

" _We will discuss this later_ ," he snapped back in French.

I knew better than to take his snarky comment to heart due to the circumstances but my heart ached over the fact that my mate was angry with me.

Caius must have sensed my sadness as he sighed softly before placing his hand underneath my chin and forced me to meet his gaze, " _I'm not mad at you. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. Let's focus on the task at hand and we will discuss this later_ ".

Before anyone could make another comment, Jane and Alec appeared…and Alec had a seemingly lifeless body swung over his shoulder.

"Masters," Jane greeted, "We have located Sulpicia".

Alec continued, "She was non-responsive when we came across her and seems to be completely paralysed".

"That's what happened to me," Nessie panicked, "I was injected with something and my entire body became paralysed".

I grimaced, "So not only has Joham been experimenting on werewolves but he's experimenting on vampires".

Caius frowned.

"We found additional abominations on our way," Jane continued, "They were dealt with appropriately".

"Vampire or werewolf?" I asked trying to understand the extent of Joham's madness.

The twins shared a look before Alec spoke, "I apologise your highness but…we're not exactly sure. Our powers worked on them, but they were unlike anything else we had ever seen before".

"Though we think there were humans in the mix as well," Jane added, "Slow speed and easily broken. All signs of something that was once human".

Alec glanced at his twin, "Or something that was once a vampire or werewolf".

Jane glimpsed at Alec before her attention focused on myself and Caius, "Or something that was once a vampire or werewolf".

"Traditionally, I would have him arrested and face the full brunt of the Volturi justice," Caius hummed, "However, the last thing we need to do is give any other vampires any ideas about picking up where Joham left off. Word of this cannot get out. We need to end this now".

"How though? We have no idea how many enemies there are? I can't see anything which means there are more were-creatures out there," Alice said in worry.

I scoffed, "The Volturi do not require such petty things to ensure victory".

"Guards," Caius ordered, "Commence Operation Inferno".


End file.
